[woodsguy]

OK, I have a couple of ideas to make road biking safer.

First would be to give cyclists complete rights to four feet of the lane and any car passing has to be three feet from that lane. So when passing a cyclist any vehicle cannot be any closer than seven feet from the edge of the road (not including shoulder). To take it a step further every lane could have the 4' bike lane marked off and a dashed line 3' from that. With many lanes at 14' wide this puts the dashed line down the middle. This dashed line would also serve as mini lanes for motorcycles. Even if there is already a bike lane, the 3' buffer would still be marked. And of course a huge ad campaign to educate drivers.

My other idea is to have an advanced warning system for cars. Cyclists could carry a transmitter that the cars would pick up warning of their presence (and maybe remind them of the 3' rule). This system could also be used for joggers/walkers, emergency vehicles, blind traffic lights/stop signs, school busses, train crossings, road construction, accidents, hazardous road conditions, etc.

 

[Toshi]

Good luck with that. You're operating on the assumption that car drivers care.

 

[OGRipper]

Intentional bike-car incidents are far more rare than accidents, so I think it is less about caring than it is about situational awareness.

Nice ideas.

 

[gonefirefightin]

hey I got an idea......why dont cyclists quit riding on busy highways with no shoulder.

plenty of places to ride and plenty of less traffic times as well.....use your head woodsguy

 

[rockofullr]

hey I got an idea......why dont cyclists quit riding on busy highways with no shoulder.

plenty of places to ride and plenty of less traffic times as well.....use your head woodsguy

Dayum

I thought you were on our side. Sarcasm I hope?

 

[gonefirefightin]

Dayum

I thought you were on our side. Sarcasm I hope?

side?....there is no side. vehicles dont care about us when we are on the road. use your head. I see too many cyclists riding 3 a breast on a busy two lane highway to think they "own" the road wich is BS.

the other thing that bugs the hell out of me is when cyclists want to be a vehicle in traffic but a pedestrian at a light. get real.

if you ride a bike in traffic, to me it is no different than being on a motorcycle. you have to have your head on a swivel and use your brain. more cyclist have been hit in "bikelanes" than anywhere else.

if your a full time commuter plan your routes and times properly and know that if you ride in traffic your going to be treated as a vehicle.

surfers dont have a shark lane, motorcycles dont have their own lane, it will be years and years before this country will make room for cyclist and years longer for motorists to make room.

I have been hit by vehicles way too many times to be absurd in thinking "we share the road"

 

[Wumpus]

I'm with GFF.

 

[RUFUS]

I ride my road bike like a motorcycle on the road. Stop at all red lights and stop signs, head always on a swivel, looking both ways multiple times, knowing that no one can see me, hand signals for at least 5 seconds, etc.

I am always under the assumption that I am not seen or am about to be hit. I also try and take the side streets or the busier roads during slower times if possible.

 

[MmmBones]

Shark lane! That's a good one.
So you don't like it when a cyclist uses their bike in the street, bike lane, sidewalk, or on the side of a highway?

 

[gonefirefightin]

you must not be able to read....I said nothing of the sort.....stay in school, you need it

 

[skunkty14]

Ugh so much fail in such a short thread.

nip blah blah:

3 foot law already exists in some states, no need for widening roads and additional painting. And a motorcycle lane? So when a car swerves into the motorcycle lane you propose the motorcycle swerves into the bicycle lane so now you have vehicles 3 wide in a clusterf*ck. Definitely will work arcasm:.

hey I got an idea......why dont cyclists quit riding on busy highways with no shoulder.

B/C in most states cyclists are vehicles and are permitted to ride on any road open to cyclists i.e. typically no divided state or interstate highways. And many states is illegal for cyclists to ride on the shoulder/inside the white line. Massachusetts in one such example. IMO riding inside the white line removes you as a vehicle, gives you no bail out zone, and puts you riding through all the broken glass/needles/condoms on the side of the road. No thanks, you'll find me on the right most edge of the lane as a cyclist where I belong and where I'm legally obligated to be.

side?....there is no side. vehicles dont care about us when we are on the road. use your head. I see too many cyclists riding 3 a breast on a busy two lane highway to think they "own" the road wich is BS.

True there are no sides, common courtesy is what is needed here. Motor vehicle operators need to realize cyclists are fellow vehicle operators. Cyclists don't need to be dicks and hold everyone up at 14mph just like a slow car. FWIW, some states do allow riding 2 abreast (Massachusetts for example).

the other thing that bugs the hell out of me is when cyclists want to be a vehicle in traffic but a pedestrian at a light. get real.

QFT. Respect/credibility is earned, not a given. You want cars to respect & treat you as a vehicle? Act like one and play by the rules of the road.

I am always under the assumption that I am not seen or am about to be hit. I also try and take the side streets or the busier roads during slower times if possible.

Smartest thing said so far.

Who's next on beating this dead horse?

 

[woodsguy]

3 foot law already exists in some states, no need for widening roads and additional painting. And a motorcycle lane? So when a car swerves into the motorcycle lane you propose the motorcycle swerves into the bicycle lane so now you have vehicles 3 wide in a clusterf*ck.

The dashed line would remind drivers of the three foot rule (some states it's 5') and make it clear how close they can be. And hopefully they would get used to it so they pass the same way on roads that aren't marked with the bike lane and buffer.

I'm not proposing widening the roads. 14' is wide enough (the minimum is 11'). But if there is room, put the 4' bike lane and 3' buffer next to the 11'+ vehicle lane.

I mentioned the motorcycle lanes so the dashed line could have another purpose. NEVs could also use the mini lanes. It might be safer for motorcycles to be in the left mini lane.

What about the idea of an advanced warning system for cars?

 

[rockofullr]

Ugh so much fail in such a short thread.

bla bla bla

Who's next on beating this dead horse?

Yeah, what he said.

 

[Heidi]

I want them to build bike lanes that are on top of the car lanes. pffffffffffffft

 

[johnbryanpeters]

hey I got an idea......why dont cyclists quit riding on busy highways with no shoulder.

plenty of places to ride and plenty of less traffic times as well.....use your head woodsguy

Because sometimes we need to get from point A to point B and have no reasonable alternative.

 

[ioscope]

My idea to make road biking safer: Outlaw cars.

 

[-BB-]

side?....there is no side. vehicles dont care about us when we are on the road. use your head. I see too many cyclists riding 3 a breast on a busy two lane highway to think they "own" the road wich is BS.

the other thing that bugs the hell out of me is when cyclists want to be a vehicle in traffic but a pedestrian at a light. get real.

if you ride a bike in traffic, to me it is no different than being on a motorcycle.

...surfers dont have a shark lane, motorcycles dont have their own lane, it will be years and years before this country will make room for cyclist and years longer for motorists to make room.

Here in CA, the Moto's can still split lanes at the traffic light legally (I believe). So when you say, behave like a pedestrian at a light, to what are you referring? Crossing when it is red? just curious.

 

[-BB-]

My idea to make road biking safer: Outlaw cars.

My idea to make road biking safer: Force all roadies to wear super bright gaudy outfits with colors that have no business being next to each other...

Wait, they already do that!!