Originally Posted by Chris L
I find it interesting that after just two cyclists being hit by cars, and there is already a reaction of "I wonder when I will get hit". Seems a little strange that, with the thousands of motorists who die in "accidents" every year, nobody ever has a second thought about that particular activity, nor any of the many others that have a higher death rate than cycling.
Chris, read the article again and think about this for a minute: In the month of January alone, two cyclists have been hit - one killed and one in a coma - along the same stretch of road (both accident scenes within 100 yards of each other) at almost exactly the same time of day. H. Star rides this same stretch of road at almost the same time of day. Statistically, this is a lot more significant than the typical "people die every day" type of argument and the originator of this thread is quite justified in feeling worried. If it were me, I would stay off this stretch of road in the mornings, or I would change my schedule so that I was on that road early or late so that the sun isn't right in the eyes of the approaching motorists, possibly obscuring me from their view.
Sorry, but there are situations where it's just not a good idea to be on a bike given the prevailing conditions and this might be one of those times and places. When the morning sun is blasting you right in the eyes, a motorist is at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing a cyclist. It's the responsibility of the motorist to be able to see the road and react to whatever is there, but it doesn't seem like a good idea as a cyclist to place yourself in such a compromised position knowing that some percentage of motorists can barely see where they're going, much less see you.