Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists?

[Prism]

48. The fact of the matter is

When I bike to work, every car is trying to kill me.

When I drive to work, every cyclist has a death wish.

That said, the fact of the matter is that car vs cyclist is a more dangerous equation. The car is going to win every time. There can be a thousand car vs car collisions in a day, and you can have everyone walk away due to seat belts, air bags, the fact you're in a four thousand pound steel cage, etc.

The exact same scenario between two automobiles that might result in an annoying insurance claim can and will result in death if it's car vs. cyclist.

On balance and through my experience, cyclists will break the rules more frequently. How many cars per day would you say you see fly through a stop sign in an intersection? Seeing one do it would be noteworthy. You'd say, "look at that crazy asshole!" You know how many cyclists I see blowing through intersections during busy traffic per day?

A lot.

And I don't hate cyclists. I am one. But here is San Francisco, I see some crazy people who think whizzing around on two wheels is a license to play in heavy traffic. It's dangerous and frequent. And yes, shit will happen. That doesn't absolve drivers of their responsibility, but let's at least acknowledge the practical equation we're working with.