Freakonomics: Who Causes Cyclists’ Deaths?

[steven johnson]

When I ride a bicycle, I know the cyclist is the one who generally is injured when there is an accident. It reminds me of one of my favorite movie quotes:

“Here’s how it is; anything goes wrong, you die. Your fault, my fault, nobodies fault, the kid dies.” John Fain (Richard Boone)– Big Jake (1971)

Or in the case of bicycling, your fault, my fault, nobody's fault, you may end up dead if you are the cyclist.

More than 52,000 bicyclists have been killed in bicycle traffic accidents in the U.S. over the 80 years the federal government has been keeping records. When it comes to sharing the road with cars, many people seem to assume that such accidents are usually the cyclist’s fault — a result of reckless or aggressive riding. But an analysis of police reports on 2,752 bike-car accidents in Toronto found that clumsy or inattentive driving by motorists was the cause of 90 percent of these crashes. Among the leading causes: running a stop sign or traffic light, turning into a cyclist’s path, or opening a door on a biker. This shouldn’t come as too big a surprise: motorists cause roughly 75 percent of motorcycle crashes too.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/">Freakonomics: Who Causes Cyclists’ Deaths?

[david13]

1. Depends on what happens. Usually, some car or SUV runs

into or over the bicyclist. And in those cases it is really 100% and 100% of the time the fault of the car/suv driver. They could stop. They drive too fast. They don't allow space for the bicycle. They don't have any respect for the bicycle rider. They think he/she is unamerican in not wasting gas, like they like to do.
They cut too close to the bicyclist, etc., yet all they do is race up to the next stoplight and stomp on the brakes, and wait for the light to change. Many, many times the bicyclist catches up to them or passes them while they are waiting at the light.
Then it's race race race to the next stoplight, etc., ad infinitum.
There are strong rules out there amongst the car/suv/pickup truck etc. drivers that you must never show any courtesy for a bicyclist.
If you do, if you give them space, if you slow for them while driving in your car, behind you, the obnoxious jerks will honk their horn.
"Hurry up, get out of my way", so that they can race up to the next stoplight and stomp on the brakes and wait. You see, most americans are idiots. Not that people in other countries are not, just ...
dc

[pink-o]

2. It' why we need bike lanes on every street!

Okay, we all know the douchebaggery that takes place with those! Drivers use them to pass on the right, idiots double-park in them, other idiots come into them waaaay before necessary to make right turns...but at least most sheeple drivers are Pavlovian enough to follow white lines in the street. I'd rather ride on streets with 'em than without 'em.

[david13]

3. I agree. dc