I would argue that constantly riding your bike 1m from the outside of the lane and potentially blocking traffic will likely result with you being ‘close passed’ more often.
As I said, I live in the real world where things don’t always work the way they do on paper.
Point being at 1 metre from the kerb you still have somewhere to go to escape the moron in the car. If you’re right on the edge there’s no escape. A relatively short time either cycling or driving with ones eyes actually open quickly answers this question.
Anyway, who should I trust? An organisation of cyclists who have actually researched the issue or a random idiot on t’internet?
There is this alleged cycling quote: “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you are tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
This discussion reminds me of that. “Internet debates are like fighting with an ape. You don’t stop when you are tired of repeating the same argument all over. You stop when the ape is tired of trolling.” So far the ape is showing a lot of stamina.
I would probably trust the random idiot who lives in the world of the way things are rather than the organisation who lives in the world of how things should be.
But obviously you can do what you please, but if you choose to cycle like an entitled prick and end up passed closely, abused or with your head punched in then don’t go whining about it in the internet like some other people do.
It’s so common for cyclists (and others) to be injured by inattentive people opening their car doors without looking that, in the UK at least, there is actually a specific regulation which makes it a criminal offence if a vehicle door is opened and it could injure or put people in danger. The fine is up to £1000 which makes it pretty serious.
It is a mandatory requirement there for motorists to ensure they will not hit anyone when they open their doors.
Two people on this thread have been injured by people doing exactly this.
Not sure what the rules are in Switzerland - probably the driver has to shout “selber schuld !” and leave it as that.
The crash type is common. I’ve been lucky to brake in time so far. Anyway, those doors are ever present in my mind while riding in town. Friends that have been doored end up with some bruises and some times broken bike parts, nothing more. The outcome of death is the freak event.
Most deaths and serious injuries are not as a direct result of impact with the car door but being thrown into moving traffic upon impact or swerving into moving traffic upon impact.
I cycling a meter out from parked cars and carry on in a straight line rather than weave in and out of them if there are gaps between them.
I fear hitting a car door a lot more than I do suffering a mincing weak-wristed effeminate punch from certain road user and internet warrior:
I think it’s pretty clear that many drivers are ignorant of the laws, of how much clearance is needed to pass cyclists safely and what pass cyclists safely actually means.
On narrow mountain roads, I will always move over and slow down and or/stop when I’m holding up traffic.
This usually gets a cheery wave in thanks from the lorry driver or bus driver who is behind me.
Sometimes a car driver will see cyclists coming up the hill and pull over to let them pass if there is a passing place on their side of the road before the cyclists. I’ll always give them a cheery wave in thanks and a smile as acknowledgement back from them.
This is just road etiquette.
What I very rarely see though, is car drivers pulling over to let a cyclist past going down a hill on a narrow road.
If you are one on those drivers, are you deliberately blocking me and slowing my journey and if so why?
I just try and put myself in their shoes and think that perhaps they are nervous and unconfident drivers and don’t realise they are holding up traffic.
For both. If I pass a cyclist I normally gie as much space as possible - the only exception being, if I notice that the cylist is obnoxiously driving in the middle of the lane.
Genuinely don’t think it’s ever happened, but yeah I think I would.
In cycling parlance these are known as “punishment passes”.
Basically you are using your car as a weapon against a more vulnerable road user (as a punishment for them getting in your way).