Originally Posted by
Roody
Thanks for the response. I wonder are you concluding that it's less risky for a rider to ignore the laws? If so, how can it be determined which laws should be ignored by the cyclist? Should the laws (vehicle code) be changed to make cycling safer?
I am not concluding that it's less risky to ignore laws. I can only conclude, however, with the limited stats available and my own experience and observation, that the degree to which one follows traffic law is not the critical factor determining one's likelihood of being hit by a car.
The critical factor, I believe, is that state-of-mind which goes by various names but which I have called 'situational awareness' as well as 'vigilance.' Ultimately, I believe that the safest rider is probably the one who is both vigilant and lawful. It is fair to ask an interesting question, however, a question which may produce some uncomfortable answers, especially for those who believe as I do that vigilance is more important than lawfulness: is it easier to remain vigilant while riding un-lawfully? The available statistics don't exactly contradict such a notion; my exerience as a long-time messenger strongly supports it. A veteran messenger may ride through half a million red lights in a career without incident, and, in my observation over many years, is far more likely to get hit under a green light than a red one. Make of it what you will.
Robert