Originally Posted by
ItsJustMe
Percentage of collision direction is going to be EXTREMELY subject to local riding conditions.
On the route I ride, it would be almost impossible for someone to hit me from the front. I'm riding miles and miles down high speed roads with very rare driveways and intersections.
On routes in cities that involve a lot of pull-outs and left turns, I'd imagine that being hit from the front or being pulled out in front of would be much more common.
There's just no way that a single number can quantify risks for all cyclists. You could probably create a stat that indicated that 80% of all bicycle accidents were caused by protruding tree roots if you sampled the right cyclists.
Most traffic statistics are on a state or national level, and that would smooth out the problem of small sizes like the one you're speaking of. You make a valid point which is that a well sampled survey may not apply to an individual's situation, but statistics are useful anyway, especially if, over your lifetime, you are going to be riding in a variety of conditions. I bet most people won't do most of their cycling on divided highways.