Originally Posted by dwightonabike
I don't understand your point. Are you saying we shouldn't ride on the road? You don't have to be riding on the road to get hit by a driver that's not paying attention. Getting run over from behind is one of the rarest causes of fatality in cycling. Avoiding riding on the roads by riding on the sidewalk or in the gutter because you are scared increases your chances of getting killed by a more real threat.
Perhaps not riding right in the middle of the traffic lanes might be a better way... As far as getting killed from behind... well, the various accident statistics are a bit skewed in this manner... While overtaking accidents are the rarest form of all the accidents that can happen to cyclists, they are also the most deadly. Of course the most common form of accident is simply cyclists falling down... Can you imagine what might happen to you riding in the "middle" of a traffic lane (where you are supposedly the most visible) and you simply happen to fall down?
Look, I am not saying riding in the VC manner does not work, but simply that there are times and places where one should not push "visibility" issues, and that one should be aware of the fact that you may not be seen from behind, no matter how predictible you are riding. Fast roads, blind corners and hilly roads can put a slow moving cyclist right in front of fast approaching traffic... relying on the vehicular method of being in the roadway "visible and predictable," can also put you right where you depend most on a driver's attention and rapid reaction time.