Until a few years ago, the only mention of a bicycle in the driver's handbook that new drivers had to learn in order to pass the written exam was that bicycle riders must ride in the same direction as cars, not facing traffic.
I would estimate that 80% of drivers on the road did not have much more info than that when they studied for the exam.
They don't know about looking before opening car doors, safe distances, etc.
They do know that there are hot-rod cyclists like city couriers they see on movies and brand a lot of cyclists accordingly.
While the original poster and others have some good ideas for new drivers, they don't address the 80% (or more) who are currently driving.
What I would like to see is some serious cycling safety issues presented in TV ads, driver's insurance renewal forms, license renewal, social media, and news articles.
Having said that, for many drivers it has been a long time since they knew all the rules of the road.
They also have trouble with traffic circles, 4-way stops, zipper merging, hwy merging, and a few other newer procedures.
Very little is given to them to help them drive safely.
That's why I think there should be a concerted effort to continue teaching them the rules of the road.
Once any professional (doctor, lawyer, teacher) graduates, he continues to learn the latest info or else he is obsolete. -- Same goes for drivers.