Originally Posted by makeinu

Am I the only one that feels that hand brakes are dangerous in traffic?

In emergency situations it's obviously best to be ready to engage the brakes. However, it's also important to keep a good grip on the handlebars, not just for accurate steering, but also for applying lots of body english.

It seems to me that it's a bit of a conflict to simultaneously try to use the hands for steering, and for braking, and for balancing and I feel much safer knowing I can use a coaster brake to (at least partially) delegate braking to the feet (which aren't being used to pedal during emergency maneuvers anyway).

Now I know a rear brake does not provide maximum stopping power, but a bicycle is not a train and stopping isn't always the best course of action for collision avoidance.