Originally Posted by
jeichelberg87
No, not at all. Hallmark cause, not hallmark case. Just read the available statements relative to car/bicycle accidents, made by the motorist. Invariably, the motorist is quoted, stating something related to the unpredictable nature of the cyclist being the cause of the accident (e.g. "The cyclist came from nowhere," or, "The cyclist was going to slow," or "The cyclist turned right in front of me.") With statements like, "I would weave in and out of the cones," I would think it might lend some credence to some statements made by these motorists involved in collisions with cyclists.
You have it backwards, the "hallmark cause" is often used by some motorists involved in accidents with all sorts of vehicles including bicycles, as a justification/excuse for their own carelessness or inattention to traffic conditions, or in the case of so-called bicycling safety advocates as a justification for promoting whatever education program or technique they like.
There are no real world stats/data calling out "unpredictable behavior" by bicyclists as a cause of accidents. It is just a handy-dandy, no-defined-meaning vague label assigned to whatever a bicyclist was doing preceding an accident, whether legal or not, or predictable or not, by some people with an agenda.