Fuck Cars
A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!
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The fact that I've seen so few cyclists wearing high visibility gear is astounding. That was the first thing I bought after buying my bike, was a high-vis retro-reflective vest. Probably also helps that my bike has running lights, but still.
People shouldnt need to be neon colored to not be killed on their commute.
I agree, but we don't live in that world. Until our governments start giving a shit, we gotta do what we gotta do. If we're going to be forced to share the road with two ton death machines, it only makes sense to ensure that they can at least see us.
I'm not following your line of thinking.
If we banished all cars, and people where on dedicated E-Bike/Bike roads, you assume dangerous collisions at night would just disappear?
Yes. Collisions are far less likely when the vehicles are smaller, and far less deadly when the vehicles are slower and less massive.
Collisions are far less likely when the vehicles are smaller Citation? Why would smaller mean less collisions?
far less deadly when the vehicles are slower and less massive = Correct
But both of your points have NOTHING to do with the topic "People shouldnt need to be neon colored"
They still require to be more visible to each other when travelling at E-bike speeds at night.
Easier to dodge. Less physical area to hit.
I'm not arguing that people shouldn't wear hi-viz, lights, ect. Of course they should. But we need to stop blaming cyclists when cars are the thing actually causing the harm. I'm trying to find a link to statistics on numbers of deadly crashes not involving a car, I recall seeing it somewhere and it was less than 1%.
Delusional
I consider lights to be a necessity. I have a bright 1800 lumen Niterider headlight that I love and (I think) a 350 lumen Cygolite taillight. I never ride on the road without at least the taillight flashing.
My state law considers them to be a necessity as well (at night). Sadly about half the bicycle riders I see riding at night have no lights. Occasionally I see them in a local news article once they get struck by a car.
Only half?
Absolutely baffling that you're being downvoted. Anyone using the road needs plenty of ways that other road-users can see them easily. Cars and motorcycles have lights and reflectors, bicycles need them too!
You're ignoring that the cyclist is being blamed instead of any other thing. Say like the terrible infrastructure for starters.
I'm not ignoring anything. I'm saying that on top of needing improved infrastructure and road laws, more cyclists need to be aware of the fact that they're pretty much a floppy bag of skin and bones which is no match for a metal box going 20-50mph.
Agreed. So let's lower the speed limit to 20mph at the absolute maximum in cities, and add traffic calming measures so that cars more easily stick to that limit.
You want 25 mph for 70 miles of road in some places, not reasonable given how the US has built itself. Places that can achieve this (dt San Francisco, dt Boston,dt Oakland, dt New York) already do this.
Go for ankle straps over vests. It's far more important for the reflective materials to be moving than the amount of body coverage you have.
GCN recently covered this topic with interviews of optometry and psychology professors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33GpfTWdk8U
Makes sense, thanks!