Originally Posted by genec
I have argued this point a few times here on BF... citing that the highest percent of automotive accidents that occur, are rear end accidents... yet vehicular cycling proponents continue to cite the lack of rear end accidents (based on one study in the '70s).
Sure seems like a contradition to me. If we cyclists are taking positions behind autos that may be right or left turning... we are subject to the same collisions that motorists now encounter... rear end collisions.
Therefore I tend to agree that positioning oneself behind a stopped motorcar is not an ideal place.
The counter argument is that a cyclist in the lane is almost always going to be perceived as going slowly and thus grabs the attention of motorists approaching from behind, unlike a car in the lane would (where the expectation is that the car is moving at "normal" speed). Cyclists also move more slowly and brake at less of a rate than motorists can which also decreases the chance that they would be in a situation where they might get rear ended.