Originally Posted by
ianbrettcooper
There is no such thing as 'complete safety' on a road. But for optimal safety, of course it's safer to be in the motorist's path, where he can best see you. Your unspoken assumption here seems to be that being out of the path of a fast motorist is safest. It might seem safe, but as with many cycling issues, what seems safe is misleading.
Over-generalizations don't contribute to safety. The simple laws of physics dictate that being in the direct path of an object that is 4 times your size, 20 times your weight, traveling at twice (or more) your speed, is less safe than being out of its direct path. Yes, there are situational variables that may make one more or less safe than the other.
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