[lupusreal]

There are several things you can do to dramatically reduce your risk. Cycle during the day, while sober, with bright colors, with a helmet, and avoiding multi-lane roads. If you do these things you've statistical eliminated most of the risk.

> victim blaming

It's an exercise in reducing risk, not assigning blame.

> the law says I can cycle on those roads

The law can't bring you back to life, but if you want to take the risk that's your decision.

[FooBarBizBazz]

We need to think more game theoretically. Since our courageous cyclist must already have a deathwish to be on the same roads as these vehicles, he should go all in with a vest packed with C4 and ball bearings so that, in the event of a crash (which will cripple him anyway), at least he takes out Starbucks Mom on his way to Paradise.

[itishappy]

I would wear the hell out of a helmet shaped like a nitro crate from CTR.

https://crashbandicoot.fandom.com/wiki/Nitro_Crate

[ummonk]

If the risk is 100x and you eliminate 90% of it, then statistically eliminating most of the risk still doesn't make it all that great a choice.

[lupusreal]

If you do as I suggest then you eliminate a lot more than 90% of the risk. 62% of cyclist fatalities weren't wearing a helmet, so that alone is a huge thing you can do to improve your odds. 22% are drunk. 50% are on major roads. https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/bicyc...

I knew I would get responses about "why don't cars just..." e.g. why should I change, they're the ones who suck. I'm not suggesting or opposing public policy changes here. I'm giving practical advice which makes cycling much safer than the statistical average.

If you do all of what I say, it's a reasonably safe and healthy pastime.

[lcnPylGDnU4H9OF]

> If the risk is 100x

Where does this number come from?

[rafram]

People who bike for transportation, not just fun, sometimes need to bike at night, on less bike-friendly roads, or without high-visibility clothing. It doesn’t seem to me that the sentence for that should be death.

[hulitu]

> or without high-visibility clothing.

Please, try to get some high-visibility clothing. The difference in visibility is between hundreds of meters with high-visibility clothing and meters without.

> It doesn’t seem to me that the sentence for that should be death.

Maybe not death but severe injuries. Being visiblevin the night is a game changer.

[potato3732842]

At the very least wrap your bike frame in reflective tape ("DOT C2 tape" is what you want to punch into Amazon if you're in the US).

[rafram]

Not really an option for people who mainly ride bikeshare bikes (e.g. me). But those have pretty good lights, at least.

[throw310822]

Why don't you paint your car fluo yellow and put a big fluffy bumper around it?

Since it's your car that does the killing in an accident, not the cyclist. Right?

[itishappy]

"You" is singular as a cyclist. Wearing appropriate gear can drastically improve your (again, singular) safety.

"You" is plural for motorists. A single motorist deciding to own and operate a soft-and-safe-mobile will not affect your (singular or plural are interchangeable here) risk appreciably.

It doesn't mean you're wrong, and you (singular) can pick your battles, but I think I'd prefer to be alive than correct.

[HPsquared]

With electric bikes there is the possibility of adding safety gear to bicycles since the extra drag can be offset by motor power. Even just the simple example of allowing the rider to wear better, motorcycle-style protective gear would be a massive improvement - since they aren't pedalling so hard. Such gear could be actively heated/cooled as well.