I don't know if it's safer but it is still really stupid to use the sidewalk. Not for a kid, your 13-year-old would not be told to use the street. But I live i

I don't know if it's safer but it is still really stupid to use the sidewalk. Not for a kid, your 13-year-old would not be told to use the street. But I live in Chicago and, like you, used to think that it would be safer to be on the sidewalk because of the really stupid drivers that we tend to have here. A few days after making that decision, I nearly hit a person coming out of their house. There was no way for me to see them and not way for them to see me. As a pedestrian, I've been nearly hit coming around corners and I also barely managed to avoid getting hit from the front by a jackass who wasn't paying attention. It's just not very safe for the pedestrians. There are so many circumstances where it's impossible to avoid a collision. Although I will say that I am shitting bricks every time I ride on the street, even if I am on a bike lane. Most drivers are really good and they pay attention, but there are some that are just fucking stupid. They have no idea what the laws are and they think a bike should be on the sidewalk so they drive erratically to get me off the road or they honk and yell at me even though I'm doing everything right.