"This has to be obvious, because about 95% of American car-bike collisions are caused by turning or crossing movements. "
ding ding ding ding. someone gets it !!
now a few things I noticed. there might be more language barriers here.
you say taking the lane and then say the further out in the lane your positioned. that is a contradiction to me.
your either OUT or your IN. which is it? taking the lane to me is you go "INTO" the lane you sit in the MIDDLE so no one can pass you left or right. you "take" the lane.
if your riding the right tire track YOUR NOT TAKING THE LANE your inviting "sharing" of the lane. this is potentially very dangerous and you need to be vigilant if the conditions require you to do this.
I am not saying this is wrong do to or anything. I am just saying this description does not jive with the phrase "taking the lane"
I wonder if MUCH of our arguing is simply lack of communication. ie using words that we don't all "read" as meaning the same thing ??
the point about distracted drivers is simple. unless you are "NOT ANYWHERE IN FRONT OF THEM" it does not matter where you are.
I had a lady destroy my trailer (regular car trailer). I have had a history of people "bumping" my trailer. its a tiny 40x42" trailer on a geo metro. people are not used to a geo metro towing a trailer and it being so small and them not paying full attention.
before the lady hosed me I got bumped 11 times. no damage just bumped.
SO I got some LED strobes. WOW what an improvement. I could actually see people jerk the brake a little when those strobes lit up and they "THEN" noticed oh crap there is a trailer their.
I had one guy pre strobe bump me. I got out and was like come on dude what gives. he got all mad at me and said I did not hit you there is no damage. I said DUDE TRAILER.
as we are both standing next to the trailer THEN AND ONLY THEN did he at that INSTANT in time finally look down and "see" the trailer. immediately Oh crap dude I am sorry I did not see it. thats when I ordered the strobes.
they worked amazing well NO more instances AT ALL. (they were pretty bright strobes)
so why did the lady hit me? because she was not even LOOKING at me. she was staring at the accident at the light and when it turned green in the corner of her eye she saw green but did not look forward just hit the gas pedal. pretzel-ed the trailer nicely.
it was NO fun getting all my stuff 12 hours home without the trailer. thankfully I had someone else take a bunch of my stuff home to their place only 2 hours from me and I picked it up later.
if a distracted driver is on an intercept course for YOU it does not matter whether you in the lane taking the lane riding the edge of the lane zig zagging across the lane or on the sidewalk. if you are in their path they are going to paste you.
taking the lane is SPECIFICALLY for drivers who "ARE" paying attention. it makes it CLEAR to them. I am here. I am a vehicle occupying this space and they RESPECT you as such because your DOING as such.
now ride down a 40mph lane at 10mph for 5 miles and they will quickly become agitated but just taking a TURN they don't even care. they take the turn behind you you move aside once the turn is done and they pass. No muss no fuss and your BOTH much safer.