The law as written means you have to yield on a bicycle in exactly the same way you would a car. There’s no room for China-level tolerances, as you describe. P

The law as written means you have to yield on a bicycle in exactly the same way you would a car. There’s no room for China-level tolerances, as you describe. People may also be picturing different scenarios: NYC couriers and delivery people swerving around them inspires scorn, as do cars driving around you at 30mph in a crosswalk even if no contact will be made. Edit: but the former scenario should happen more often than the latter simply because the car is often too big to pull the same stunt without actually causing physical injury. I love the picture of a 10 minute traffic meeting, though.