[qwerty49]

I hammer something into my son's head every time we go out for a ride: in any confrontation between a bike and a car, a car always wins and fault doesn't factor at all into your safety. Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance.

Great lessons for your son. I can't tell you how many times I've seen kids (and occasionally adults) pedaling down the bike lane in the wrong direction and against traffic. Tough to see them when you're making a right turn and watching the on coming traffic looking for an opening. Not a fan when cyclists run red lights and stop signs because it's too hard to put a foot down. Riding three abreast, with one in the bike lane is a peeve, as well. Now get off my lawn.

What they both said.  Many years ago I was a distance biker.  I made it a point to never, ever trust cars, pedestrians, or other cyclists. And this was before the age of cell phones.  Today, I'd go pretty far out of my way to avoid busy streets.

Far too many times I've been fully stopped at an intersection, in the right lane with my blinker on, ready to turn, and end up shaking my head at a cyclist whizzing by me on the right without stopping for the light.  There is a point where that bike is in your blind spot and not visible.  And jeez, if cyclists have the same "rights" as drivers, they should also be accountable for the same laws.

Just this afternoon on my way home traffic was slowing on one of our side streets that leads downhill with a freeway on-ramp on the right.  It's a sticky intersection and no fun even when there's no traffic; it's not a full stop.  Two bikers barrelled down the hill on the right sidewalk from behind us and zipped right across the on-ramp -- continuing downhill without even glancing over their left shoulders to see if someone was turning onto the freeway!  Like you say, a bicycle is NOT going to win a collision with a car -- and it doesn't matter who is at fault.

Sorry for the rant but this is one of my triggers.

All the best for Buddy's recovery.

[qwerty49]

I hammer something into my son's head every time we go out for a ride: in any confrontation between a bike and a car, a car always wins and fault doesn't factor at all into your safety. Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance.

Great lessons for your son. I can't tell you how many times I've seen kids (and occasionally adults) pedaling down the bike lane in the wrong direction and against traffic. Tough to see them when you're making a right turn and watching the on coming traffic looking for an opening. Not a fan when cyclists run red lights and stop signs because it's too hard to put a foot down. Riding three abreast, with one in the bike lane is a peeve, as well. Now get off my lawn.

What they both said.  Many years ago I was a distance biker.  I made it a point to never, ever trust cars, pedestrians, or other cyclists. And this was before the age of cell phones.  Today, I'd go pretty far out of my way to avoid busy streets.

Far too many times I've been fully stopped at an intersection, in the right lane with my blinker on, ready to turn, and end up shaking my head at a cyclist whizzing by me on the right without stopping for the light.  There is a point where that bike is in your blind spot and not visible.  And jeez, if cyclists have the same "rights" as drivers, they should also be accountable for the same laws.

Just this afternoon on my way home traffic was slowing on one of our side streets that leads downhill with a freeway on-ramp on the right.  It's a sticky intersection and no fun even when there's no traffic; it's not a full stop.  Two bikers barrelled down the hill on the right sidewalk from behind us and zipped right across the on-ramp -- continuing downhill without even glancing over their left shoulders to see if someone was turning onto the freeway!  Like you say, a bicycle is NOT going to win a collision with a car -- and it doesn't matter who is at fault.

Sorry for the rant but this is one of my triggers.

All the best for Buddy's recovery.