in dismissing the "emotional" and too often accurate assessment by car drivers of bike riders.
At least in Los Angeles.
One of the problems about bicycles on major city streets is that most bike riders cannot keep up with traffic. A bicycle going 35 mph is going really fast. And, because of the narrow tires and all too frequently also due to cheap bikes with cheap brakes, bicycles cannot stop nearly as easily or safely as cars.
Admittedly, cars sometimes run stop signs and lights, but the number of times that car riders see bike riders "forget" to stop is truly astronomical. That is not just an emotional reaction. I have talked to many drivers about bikes on major streets. Almost all answer with stories about bike riders who could not or did not stop at stop signs or lights. It is like a disease among bike riders.
Some of the stop-sign or stoplight running in Los Angeles may be due to the steep hills in many areas. But I think that a lot of is due to the narrow tires.
In fact, someone explained to me that cars' wide tires and chassis help stop the momentum, help stop cars at high speeds. And then think about truck wheels -- very wide. Bike riders' are handicapped by the bike tires.
Riding bikes is fine, but it is dangerous to do it on city streets. One of my good friends died in a bike accident, and I have come across the scene of a bike accident after the event. It isn't a pretty sight. Bikes should stay off major streets. Bike riders should be particularly cautious at night, wear their helmets, give cars the right-of-way, not pass from the right, not cross in front of cars (as you describe), give cars a chance to see them and to stop or slow down for them and always wear light clothing and lights or reflecting vests at night.
Very few bikes have rear-view mirrors. Unless you do, when you ride directly in front of a car in the car's lane the car driver can see and is probably studying everything you do but you can't focus on the road ahead and watch the car behind you. That is a serious problem. Cars are required to have rear view mirrors (and wide tires plus reliable brakes and brake lights). A car that doesn't have these things will probably be stopped by the police. I have only heard of one instance in which a reckless bike rider was stopped by the police and that happened many years ago. I have had this experience a number times. The bike rider seems to act as though he owns the road although he is riding way below the speed limit. The car behind him is trying to remain slow, keep a distance.
Recently, a bike rider on a street in my neighborhood rode in the middle of the one car lane going south right in front of us and then started zig-zagging across the lane. Finally and suddenly he noticed us and sped to the side as if he was embarrassed. And he certainly should have been. City streets with massive cars behind you is no place to "play around" on your bike. If the driver of a car did that, he would be stopped for drunk driving.
If you get into an accident in a car, there is a good chance that the air bag will deploy and save you and that the wide tires and chassis of the car will help you stop and you will survive. Get in a similarly bad accident on a bike and ----. So bike carefully.
You can blame the fear of car drivers on their emotions, but the fact is that many of us remember the weekend "death tolls on the highways" and know that the streets can be dangerous. Were it not for seat belts and air bags and a lot of safety apparatus in cars that young people take for granted, we would still hear those weekend statistics on death on the highways.
Bike safely or not at all. Please.
Sorry, but the article you provided does not begin to deal with the reality of horrible bike riding in Los Angeles. It's a very serious problem in my hilly area.
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