Re: RE: unwanted infantilism
Ah; but beware the concept of "lies, damn lies, & statistics".
Indeed. As a cyclist I have been taken off my bike by a car who didn't check their blind spots. It informed my behaviour as a driver and I hope I am more diligent as a result.
However, some cyclists will not be helped. I have - more than once - nearly mown down a cyclist who thought it appropriate to weave along a 60mph stretch in black clothing, with no lights or reflectors (a legal requirement as important as having an MOT) on a moonless night. I suspect that someone with less than the 20/20 vision I am fortunate to be blessed with might not pick out the dim shadow moving at the edge of vision and brake too late to avoid the moron. Just last week I swung into a one-way street at 10pm to find a kid coming the wrong way down it without lights or helmet (quite what they were doing out at that time I do not know).
But inevitably it would be the driver who is at fault for hitting the criminal(1) cyclist, and the statistics will not reflect this nuance.
Most drivers are good, most cyclists are considerate. But churning out a scary-sounding, yet context-less number of cyclist accidents/fatalities tells you absolutely nothing because some of them are bordering on suicidal.
1. Yes. Criminal. Going out at night without lights or reflectors is a criminal act, just like driving without MOT or insurance.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
