How to Not Get Hit by Cars • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#131

Post by avianlyric » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:04 PM UTC

nojs wrote: post #118

avianlyric wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You've got a right to use the lane just as much as I do, but be a good citizen and actually let me pass you safely. If you hear me coming up behind you or notice my flashing high beams, please dip to the right a bit so that I can continue past you and leave you safely. Do you take the same approach to cars? Or do you reserve such aggressive tactics only for vulnerable road users? As you say, bike user have just as…

You’re missing the major point that bikes go much slower than cars, so it makes sense for traffic flow to let cars pass safely.

Nothing against letting cars pass safely. Just think that demanding bikes let you invade their safety buffer isn’t how you perform a safe pass.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#132

Post by mplanchard » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:05 PM UTC

thomasahle wrote: post #117

Retric wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just understand if you take up a traffic lane when a bike lane is right next to you, some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. Hostility results in hostility, and you’re not surrounded by steel.

> some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. I have never heard of this happening to anybody.

I had a car actively swerve into me to try to run me off the road after I took the lane to get around a stopped bus. Car drivers can definitely get crazy aggressive if they think you’re not riding “in your place.”

Edit: I still agree that taking the lane when appropriate is the safest option, but it’s hard to deny that some people are insane.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#133

Post by Beltalowda » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:06 PM UTC

ninesnines wrote: post #52

gotstad wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's neither feasible nor required. Copenhagen still has cars in city centre - personally I drive my bike 95% of the time, but sometimes I need to use my car. However, I much prefer my bike because it's faster, less troublesome, infrastructure is great and the exercise helps. Create incentives for biking, but don't outlaw cars.

I agree with you, I don't think we should ban cars, however making it very difficult to have cars in the city would help! I bike in Copenhagen almost 100% of the time, and its actually so much more difficult to get around by car. I do think cars should be banned in downtown-downtown though or at least have extremely harsh reinforcement: there is no reason for the rich businessman to be driving his Porsche at 120 km/h…

> there is no reason for the rich businessman to be driving his Porsche at 120 km/h down a back road near where everyone cycles.

In my experience it's not the "rich businessman" but the "boy racer" with his Audi or VW Golf that are the most common problem.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#134

Post by larrymyers » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:07 PM UTC

makecheck wrote: post #129

The overwhelmingly most common one I see is cyclists not stopping at STOP signs (or worse, red lights), and the real crazy ones appear to not even slow down . It is illegal to run a stop sign, and it is certainly possible a car (crossways or turning) will arrive first and have right of way. So a car is turning, why should it expect a cyclist to come plowing through on a whim? Again: it is ILLEGAL for cyclists to run…

It actually depends on the state laws in the US. More states are starting to adopt the Idaho stop. Though I agree that cyclists who abandon all situational awareness when arriving at intersections are just future organ donors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#135

Post by avianlyric » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:07 PM UTC

Lanolderen wrote: post #120

avianlyric wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a solution! Protected cycle lanes! Keep cycles, cars and pedestrians physically separated. Inside towns and cities we should be looking to give up road space for cars, to put in dedicated cycle infrastructure. Dedicated cycle infrastructure keeps cars and cycles separate, makes cycling safer, and most importantly more accessible and friendly. Every additional cycle on the road during rush hour is one less ca…

Or cyclists can be incentivised to move to small motorcycles (pedelec if they want to stay fit) and we avoid the whole issue of converting car lanes to bicycle lanes and then reverting that decision because a traffic jam occurred and residents were not impressed, wasting money in the process ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What about people that can’t drive a motorcycle, like children? Or people that can’t afford a motorcycle? Or people that have nowhere to store a motorbike (I’ll like to see you hang a motorbike on a wall)? Do we just abandon them?

> we avoid the whole issue of converting car lanes to bicycle lanes and then reverting that decision because a traffic jam occurred and residents were not impressed, wasting money in the process

There are huge piles of empirical evidence that shows the complete opposite of this happens. Introducing bike infrastructure, at the cost of car infrastructure, almost always reduces congestion after a short adaptation period passes. Turns out if you give people cheaper easier ways of moving a round a city or town, they’ll pick them over a car.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#136

Post by sydd » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:11 PM UTC

Bostonian wrote: post #46

hammock wrote: post #2

So much of this advice is “ride to the left” and I wish to emphasize it. Novice riders are trained to stick to an invisible (or painted) bike lake which ends up with them being far less visible than they need to be. Your safety is more important than some car’s need to get to work 5 seconds faster, and you shouldn’t feel controlling anxiety if some idiot honks at you for riding in the main traffic lane. You have righ…

Where I live, the cars greatly outnumber bikes. Cyclists that go in the main traffic lane will slow things down substantially, and I think that is inconsiderate.

Where I live its the legal right of bicyclists to use the road in the same manner as cars do. Just because your vehicle is less agile than yours, they are not inconsiderate, e.g. you would not honk on trucks just because they accelerate slower. Or on school buses because they need to stop often.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#137

Post by Beltalowda » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:11 PM UTC

paulnpace wrote: post #65

acd wrote: post #4

Lets get cars out of cities. No car in the city centre no car hitting bicycles and pedestrians. Clean air less noise.

With such policies you will quickly discover there are many more health conditions that preclude riding a bicycle than you were previously aware. For example, middle-aged and older men who suffer variously different prostate-related conditions that aren't usually discussed. (Please don't tell me about special bicycle seats.)

Once the number of cars is reduced significantly, it will be much easier and cheaper to have really good public transport, since there aren't so many cars on the road any more.

And we save costs due to less road maintenance (which is really expensive), no need to build new bridges/roads to solve traffic jams, lower health care costs, less time spent (i.e. money wasted) sitting in traffic jams, lower environmental costs, and you can put that in public infrastructure.

I think it's good to be mindful of these kind of issues: for all their downsides, cars can give great personal freedom and I think it's good to think how that can be maintained, but it's not like cars are the only way these problems can be solved.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#138

Post by CJefferson » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:11 PM UTC

s1k3 wrote: post #66

Reading through all these comments I’m floored that no one has pointed out the most obvious safety tip of any bike/pedestrian. Use the roads defensively and as if every car doesn’t know you’re there. Before entering traffic with cars make damn sure the car sees you and make sure you are fucking visible. Motorists aren’t looking for bikes (you are small) they are looking for cars. It is your responsibility to understa…

The problem is, that isn't really possible in all cases. Sometimes cars ignore people and just turn left (in the UK, right in the US), not really anything you can do if the cars just see differs to do that.

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#139

Post by avianlyric » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:12 PM UTC

Bostonian wrote: post #116

avianlyric wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think hitting cyclists with cars and horrifically injuring them is inconsiderate. But each to their own.

You are putting words in my mouth. Of course I am against hitting cyclists, and I have never done so.

Bikes cycle as part of traffic because it far safer, and substantially reduces the chances of them being hit and seriously injured.

If you think cycling in manner to improves your safety as a cyclist is inconsiderate. Then how do you suggest they cycle if they don’t want to be hit by a car?

Re: How to Not Get Hit by Cars

#140

Post by julienreszka » Sun, Jun 19, 2022, 2:12 PM UTC

Findecanor wrote: post #100

polote wrote: post #39

That's not riding a bike which is dangerous it is riding in the same zones as cars as the article points out. May people say we shouldn't trust anyone to carry guns, but we allow anyone to drive a car, that's at least as much dangerous. All the examples of the articles are good, but there are two many to learn and remember. I follow one and only one rule when I ride my bike. Assume you can get killed at every time an…

If I had the power to, I would downvote you because you are blaming the victim, being smug about it, even abusive. If you are riding your bike in the city and the streets are congested enough, there will always be a car close behind you. As there are cars ahead of you, to the right of you and on the street to the left that you would have to look out for. There are limits to how defensively you can ride, and at the en…

It's delusional to think that laws written by humans can beat the laws of physics. Whether 2 ton vehicle hits you on a bike intentionally or not doesn't change much that you will get hurt and maybe die. No matter how much the written laws favor the bikes.