Originally Posted by
TurbineBlade
I'm just saying it sucks for the OP....and that essentially any regular commuter (including drivers) really has no place to take the high-ground.....you're essentially telling this guys he's an idiot while probably breaking the same or similar road laws yourselves.
Speak for yourself, don't speak for the rest of us. I can't speak for anyone else here, but I do my best to follow the rules of the road ... even to the point of looking them up for each place I live or visit to make sure I'm not inadvertently breaking some rule. For example, here in Australia it is a fineable offense to ride without a helment. I can get away without wearing a helmet in Canada, but I can't in Australia, and I knew that before I got here.
If
you don't follow the rules of the road,
you are at risk for fines.
Originally Posted by
TurbineBlade
Agreed. Mostly. I don't know that the risk of injury is all that great in a bicycle as compared to a car.
Big car ... little bicycle = many, many examples of people who have died or been seriously injured.
Originally Posted by
TurbineBlade
Most "road manuals" provide little if any information about dealing with bicycles safely in traffic (even when the area has a large number of cyclists, bike routes, and a 3-foot passing law). I'd see if there's a manual specific to cyclists first.
DC has a page about common laws where cyclists are likely to be faulted by police instead of motorists! Boy that inspires confidence in road laws protecting my safety!
Good for DC!! Seems like a place that takes the safety of its cyclists seriously. If you follow the same rules of the road as the vehicles do, and ride in a predictable manner, you'll have a much greater chance of riding safely.
Originally Posted by
TurbineBlade
It completely ignores the fact that riding on the sidewalk is actually legal and unavoidable in many areas
Wrong.