Not wholly true. In my 20+ years of traffic interactions, something else I’ve learned is that nearly 100% of drivers are cowards, even the uber aggressive ones. They won’t actually get out of their vehicle to confront you face to face (perhaps they are also uber lazy). They also won’t (most times) hit you with their vehicle on purpose.
As an example, the pick up truck driver who actually tried to hit me (and gloat about it after). I followed him to the next red light and confronted him. He refused to leave his vehicle. Guess he wasn’t man enough to actually try and kill a skinny bike rider without 2 tons of steel.
Another example is that of a woman who went completely apeshit on me for perhaps 5 minutes during our morning commute in slow traffic, spewing all sorts of virulent language. During the same week I came face to face with her in the grocery store. I put on a great big smile and walked directly toward her. She put her head down and turned the other way. Again, cowardly sans vehicle.
(Pretty sure there is some serious alteration of brain activity when a person operates a motor vehicle. Any studies done on this?)
Even the few drivers I’ve encountered who have exited their vehicles don’t do anything physical. Perhaps I’d feel different about it if I lived in a gun-centric country. Like the Reddit guy who asked what’s the best holster for cycling.
Then again, it’s most likely the inattentive, elderly, and incapacitated drivers who cause the most death and destruction and not the anger-filled nutjobs. The amount of times I’ve read “medical event” in accident reports is frightening.
Like a couple of days ago I saw a pedestrian, walking in a crosswalk in broad daylight, almost die as some ding dong ran the stop sign and slammed on his brakes. Came literally within an inch of plowing right into her. I’m glad I didn’t witness the alternative event. Had a look at the driver and he was right out to lunch.
Anywho…time to get ready for another morning bike version of ‘The Running Man’. Anyone have a link to Black Friday deals on 5,000 lumen lights? Or pool noodles?
I had a car once stop and a steroid monster jumped out with his fist clenched. He was somewhat shocked when I got off my bike and unfolded to be 6’2" and 200lbs+
Take away their weapon of choice, put them on equal footing, and almost all (if not all) won’t behave the same as they do within their steel bubble of invincibility.
When it comes right down to it, it’s not actually the cyclists which enrage the drivers, it’s the condition of their life (acute and chronic). The cyclist is merely the easy target for their vehicle-induced amplified state of malaise.
Like the dude who yelled at me one morning that I should get off the road because I don’t pay taxes…as he munched on his 7 AM Big Mac. WTF. Ha!
I’ve been run over once. Classic driver blowing through a stop sign. I even knew the guy as he owned the pet store where my wife bought dog food.
He was traumatized at his mistake and remorseful and thankfully I was not hurt except for some road rash. Custom bike destroyed but hey, material stuff can be replaced.
He admitted running the stop sign but what was interesting was his adamant statement that he honestly didn’t see me. I was wearing neon yellow jersey, yellow helmet and neon green bike (early 90s and neon paint was a thing. Don’t judge me man).
Turns out drivers who are not focused are not lying, they actually don’t see you. It has to do with the way human brains process images and “fills in” the background information based on prior images. Think about the videos where a guy in a gorilla costume walks across the back of the scene. Same phenomena. Delivery companies (ups, FedEx, et al) specifically train their drivers to look and focus to minimize accidents due to “didn’t see it” effect.
Anywhoo…
Cycling on roads has always been less safe than we would like it to be. Add in higher traffic density in many areas, distraction, poor drivers, low training, perhaps less concern for others, and three ton mobile living rooms with entertainment systems and it’s gotten to a point where I am moving my riding and racing off road.
The problem with this is the “nearly”. And you don’t know when you’re going to be confronted with the exception that imposes the “nearly”. Friend of mine ended up face-to-face with one of the exceptions. Guy straight out of prison. Cyclist waved/shouted/whatever at driver for cutting close or whatever. Driver stopped and got out. The rest was ugly.
That’s why I wave and smile. I don’t need to raise my blood pressure when cycling. I don’t need the adrenaline of chasing a car to scream at someone. I don’t need the aggravation of the no-neck guy who decides that I’m his punching bag for the day.
I’m 77+ years old and do about 4000 miles annually. I have concluded I am fully responsible for where and how I ride. I don’t bounce or bend like I once did. There’s no such thing as no risk, but I can partially mitigate risk by garish daytime lighting, (I’m amazed at how many cyclists have no visible lighting even in poor natural light) routes chosen, time of day, using mirrors to watch my back (this has saved me more than once). I assume of every driver that they either don’t see me, or if they do they don’t care what happens to me. Not true of most drivers, of course, but it puts me in a defensive state of mind from which I have benefited more than once. Never assume anything. Of course, I have my rights, but I can also be dead right. My rights mean nothing at the moment of contact with the bumper of an SUV, which contact I could have avoided by not depending solely on my rights. I have rights when using a crosswalk too, but won’t think of stepping off the curb unless I know precisely what’s going around me. Sadly the manner in which many cyclists behave contributes to how some drivers see all cyclists. Its the jerks in both segments of society from which emerge the problems. As others have observed in this thread, nothing is gained by lecturing. That goes for both cyclists and motorists. I know of one cyclist who spent 3-4 weeks in the hospital recovering from an assault that issued from him doing just that. The assailant was never apprehended. I acknowledge my riding is purely optional, which is clearly not the case for everyone. I understand how fortunate I am. I endorse the suggestions to thank, compliment, recognize even the smallest effort by a motorist by which you can see they know you’re there and respect your space.
I believe there’s a study or two floating around out there. From memory the results were that driving for extended periods had a negative effect on cognitive abilities.
I’m not sure how you’d go about setting up a testing protocol for people turning into inconsiderate dicks while behind the wheel. That would make a cracking read.
There’s definately lots of cowards as you mentioned. It’s kinda fun watching those sorts freak out when put on the spot.
If you’ve managed 20+ years on the roads you must be doing something right.
Stay safe.
Thinking about it now, as the OP, I should change the ‘Dangerous Drivers’ title of this thread.
In 20+ years of open road training and commuting, I’ve only ever been hit (3x) by inattentive, distracted, careless, and/or incapacitated drivers. Angry, aggressive, bike-hating drivers have never caused me any actual physical harm, only mental distress (which is mostly under my control).
Thus, my natural conclusion should be that aggressive drivers are not the dangerous drivers.
I’ve come to the same conclusion. The dbags who coal roll you at least have to SEE you so they can aim for you. It’s the inattentive ones texting and driving who are the most dangerous.
But, BOTH need to be serving jail time for either being on theor phones while driving, or buzzing people on the side of thre road.
Distracted driving should be treated like drunk driving IMO. If a cop sees you on a phone in a moving car, you spend the night in jail, and better call a lawyer.
Heck…I think if I had my pick between a guy passing me while drinking a can of budweiser behind the wheel, or a guy sending a text, I’d choose the guy with the beer.
Then what do you do with all the (IMO) very dangerous elderly and/or prescription-filled drivers who are increasing in numbers?
If you smash your car through a store front because you got confused between the gas and brake pedal, is it any different than driving under the influence?
But I digress, mostly because I don’t make the laws. Although traffic laws seem to be the least followed and least enforced of all laws.
Not a good idea IMO, you open yourself up to more bad driving and abuse.
I have seen at least three people with helmet cams on being punched because drivers didn’t like the fact that they might be being filmed, even though apart from the assault the driver has done nothing wrong (and neither had the cyclist.) I guess it is the old ‘red rag to the bull’
