Originally Posted by
howsteepisit
So how does being in the lane protect you from a driver who is looking at their phone rather than the road and whats in front of them? Seems to me being in the lane would be a much bigger risk than being on the sidewalk or a bike path under this circumstance. Fortunately this type of event is still rare.
Because, There are more options when 'taking the lane'. Than there are 'hugging the side', or being on the sidewalk. Because, Sometimes' the bike route goes on the sidewalk.
Originally Posted by
kickstart
It seems to me the wisest course of action is to observe ones environment, and choose which option best suits the prevailing conditions, rather than assigning cute names to particular options, and declare their virtues out of hand to suit ones ideologies.
By their very nature, distracted drivers throw a monkey wrench into any, and all dogmatic riding styles.
While I understand your reasoning, and position. I still stand by my position. Because, The video previously mentioned in another thread of the guy on the sidewalk who yells at one driver supposedly blowing a stop sign as the cyclist was about to cross. Is one example. Also, By taking the lane, a cyclist is seen better. They have a better chance of evading a collision with an ignorant motorist.
Originally Posted by
B. Carfree
First off, FRAP is as far right as practicable, which is often the center of the lane.
If we're talking about the relative safety of various lane positions when dealing with a distracted driver (what my wife calls driving while playing with a vibrator), then I agree that there isn't likely to be much advantage in one lane position versus any other.
However, I know that when I switched from gutter-hugging to taking the lane in lanes that weren't wide enough for a safe pass I began to experience far fewer close passes and haven't been hit by a passing vehicle since (got side-swiped a few times when I rode too far right), in spite of many more miles post-switch. It's not really evidence, but things have played out exactly as the model I operate under predicted.
I switched to 'taking the lane', a long time ago. For that reason. The only time I was hit from behind while 'taking the lane'. Was when I wasn't moving. Waiting to merge in to the traffic from a dual-turn lane.