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There's a certain amount of chicken and egg at work here. Yes, there are cyclists who run red lights and behave badly just because they can. On the other hand
by bincrosby 12y ago
There's a certain amount of chicken and egg at work here. Yes, there are cyclists who run red lights and behave badly just because they can. On the other hand, there are traffic laws that I regularly break while biking to stay alive (crossing onto sidewalks, stopping in the road, even ignoring stop signs to get away from large vehicles). Having been hit by a bus while on the sidwalk, I'm acutely aware of how frail and unlike a car I really am.
In short, my choices aren't made based on traffic laws. They're based on trying not to get hit on a minute-to-minute basis. In places without decent bike infrastructure, strict enforcement just presents a choice between tickets and death.
- aroch 12y agoYou can't have your cake and eat it to; either everyone follows all the traffic laws (including you) or no one follows all the traffic laws.
- malyk 12y agoOr you could have more reasonable traffic laws.
- jackmaney 12y agoOr we could start enforcing traffic laws for cyclists.
- malyk 12y agoAnd for speeding cars, rolling stops for cars, illegal turns, broken lights, using cellphones while driving, parking in bike lanes, etc. The most frequent complaint I hear about cyclists is the stop sign/red light/yield to pedestrians issue. Changing the law to be more sensible (specifically implementing the Idaho Stop for cyclists) would end the vast majority of those complaints. Other issues, like taking up an entire lane, are annoying, but only done consistently by assholes...just like only a small portion of drivers are assholes. It's certainly a pain to have to go slow behind a cyclist when in a car, but it isn't your god given right to go 10 mph over the speed limit at all times...which is the prevailing attitude of basically all drivers everywhere.
- jackmaney 12y agoHow about we just start by having traffic laws enforced for cyclists at the same overall rate as that for motorists.
- wffurr 12y agoHow about we enforce the laws proportional to the danger each road user poses to those around them?
- jackmaney 12y agoThat sounds like a possible second step. First, let's start enforcing traffic laws for cyclists.
- wffurr 12y agoThe doctrine of proportional harm would basically eliminate enforcement of traffic laws for cyclists because they cause very, very little harm compared to motor vehicles.
- jackmaney 12y agoYou're assuming that I buy into this so-called "doctrine of proportional harm" (whatever that is). You know what happens when you assume, don't you?