Zodiac

[prog]

jwz writes a list of advice to the novice city-cyclist (optimized for SF but applicable in any urban setting, I think). Of particular note:

Safety: I follow the Zodiac approach: always assume the cars can see you perfectly, and are trying to kill you. If an intersection seems iffy, use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If big streets like Market and Van Ness freak you out, there are always less traficky ways to go, or just stay on the sidewalks.

Comments

s/most/some/

[prog.livejournal.com]

I suggest that you're seeing a frequency illusion, but yes, plenty of cyclists do ignore traffic signals, and that's just worse for them since it increases the chances they'll get flattened.

I idly theorize that this is due to the fact that the U.S. doesn't have a bike culture the way it has a car culture, and so road rules for bicyclists aren't as ingrained in everyone from childhood the way they are for motorists. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of drivers think that bicyclists don't need to obey lights, either!

To tell you the truth, the last time I road my bike frequently (high school) I can't recall whether or not I obeyed traffic signals. But this was also in a relatively sparse area in Florida that wasn't very intersectiony, so maybe it was a moot point. (I do recall that I rocked the turn signals like nobody's business.)