Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
In the EU you cannot overtake a cyclist except by first slowing to 19mph or less first. In the US you can blast by at the posted limit if you allow 3'... that only kind of works.
Not even that :/ I can send videos of cars going 55mph in a 35-45mph zone, passing me by 8 inches when the law mandates 2.5-4', and no one cares. There are 0 legal repercussions, why would they change? Agree with your post
Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
I'm not saying that after four serious accidents that I wouldn't also give up cycling... after one serious accident I gave up motorcycles... however, I do not blame anyone else for my misfortunes. I do not see where the o.p. owns their part (and they do have one) in the outcomes of their accidents. It is my firm conviction that there are other cyclists riding completely accident free commutes or other kinds of public riding in the very city, the very same neighborhood even, that the o.p. lives in. Four accidents is three too many. Giving up cycling is probably the best decision, but to make it seem like a decision forced by the actions of hostile, antagonistic, unthinking, unfeeling drivers. I don't know... seems a bit much. Here's what I would do... I would go to a local bike store and see if there is anyone there I could shadow. Maybe join a local club, prolly they mostly ride on weekends only, but you might find some hardcore commuters in there... whatever, you find yourself a streetrider who is not having as hard a time of it as you are and see how they go about staying in one piece out there. FWIW.
Its not like that here unfortunately.
No one commutes in my part of town. Ten miles from me where there are bike lanes, a few people do, but even then not many. Where I live I'm surrounded by 45mph roads people treat like 55mph roads. Not a shoulder, sidewalk or bike lane in sight. Heavy industrial traffic including 18 wheelers that buzz me within inches. There are no alternatives, any neighborhood I cut through dumps me on to these roads, and I can't merely cross them into another neighborhood. The best I can do is drive half the commute, then share 35mph roads with antagonistic drivers. The same 35mph roads where my last two accidents happened.
I was going 7 miles out of my way on my 25 mile one way commute to take the least busy roads I could. I spent over 500$ in various lights and safety gear. I ran front and rear lights any time I got on my bike, and doubled up on them when the sun set. Wore nothing but high-viz clothing with a high-viz helmet. I avoided confronting drivers who buzzed me or threw things at me. I rode the fastest bike I could (Trek Emonda) as hard as I could (20mph average including stopping at lights etc.) to alleviate how much I slow car divers down. I obeyed every traffic law I could so people don't get pissed at me for ignoring traffic laws. I move over to give cars room to pass when they're behind me, I signaled every turn and lane change. Despite my best efforts I was repeatedly harassed and knocked off my bike by moving cars.
There's nothing an advocacy group or shadowing another biker could change about my situation. The one time a month I see another cyclist out where I live they look just as stressed and miserable as I did.
I have talked with bike mechanics at the nearest bike shop (14 miles away) that live where I do. They don't bike commute to work for the exact reasons I don't anymore.
I've tried the nearest group rides. They don't bike within 8 miles of my house for the same reasons I no longer bike there.
What part of that exactly should I be owning?
I did everything in my power to be safe and legal and got sent to the ER.
How is shadowing another cyclist going to prevent me from getting hit while being stopped at a red light? How is finding another local bike commuter to ride with going to stop a motorist from turning left right in front of me?
Your firm convictions are very wrong.