Originally Posted by
coasting
yes. i think it is the style of riding. less agressive.
when i was just getting used to cycling on roads, i kept to the curb and had a lot more close calls. I find it safer to confidently take control of the traffic around me where it is necessary...take the lane, at lights and junctions place myself in front of cars so they have to wait until i have cleared, going into middle of the road to overtake rather than squeezing past lorries and buses on the inside. if i can't overtake i would just stop and wait rather than undertake.
Whatever the cause, if any, it isn't because the rider is a woman. Motorists tend to give greater deference to women according to studies which include a nonscientific one done by John Stoessel (sp).
I agree that riding aggressively in vehicular manner is safer than timid riding where one is afraid to take the lane or the cyclist squeezes in and moves up on the right (in the U.S.) when traffic is stopped and may not be seen. But what reliable information is out there that claims women do this more than men?