I don’t drive. I’m sure I could even if I’m afraid to do it, but I don’t like cars and society forcing us to drive partly for this reason. People drive lethal metal boxes everywhere without really thinking about it.
Cars are one of the most deadly things in a lot of countries and yet, they are totally normalised.
In Canada alone, in one year, nearly 2000 people died from car collisions. And distracted driving accounts for about 20% of those.
It’s why I prefer to cycle, and on segregated paths if possible. Because when I cycle on the road, I always have this kind of thoughts in the back of my mind. What if the person driving a multi ton projectile coming behind me at speed, is day dreaming and “didn’t see me”, even if I’m dressed in bright orange?
You’re totally right, kinda.
But isn’t your conclusion way more dangerous than actually driving the deadly metal-box yourself?
Being a pedestrian or, even worse, cyclist, you’re a highly vulnerable squishy flesh-thingy surrounded by deadly murder-boxes.
The safest people out there are bus- and truckdrivers. I mean truck-trucks, not those murican abominations like the rams and f150s and the likes.
Personally, I rarely drive faster than 80kmh (50mph). Even on the highway where people go totally bonkers all the time. We should have a speed-limit on highways…
But isn’t your conclusion way more dangerous than actually driving the deadly metal-box yourself? Being a pedestrian or, even worse, cyclist, you’re a highly vulnerable squishy flesh-thingy surrounded by deadly murder-boxes.
Perhaps but it’s counter productive to just get bigger and bigger vehicles in order to be “safer” and crush everything else around. It’s a race to the bottom to which I do not wish to participate. At least where I live we are “lucky” enough to have multiple abandoned railways in the countryside that have been turned into bike trails, so I generally use these. I can cycle to my parents’ using two bike trails, without cars, for 140 km. Otherwise I specifically moved in a city with good bike and transit infrastructure (Montreal) so that I don’t need to drive a giant lethal metal box that pollutes and takes space.
Anyway because I think cars are insane and avoid them at all costs, my chances of dying while I’m inside one are lower than someone using one daily. It’s also one less deadly machine on the road. I’m not getting in a car to go to the grocery store or to go run errands. I’m not getting in a car every day to go to work. When I cycle it’s usually on dedicated infrastructure, on in bike lanes.
From my point of view, even if I have to mix with cars sometimes while cycling, even if I fear for my life and wish people driving cars would be more careful while passing, it’s usually an exception, and I feel much safer at 20 km/h on “my” dedicated bike path than sitting in a car surrounded by other cars and trucks.
OK sure, if you have the infrastructure for bikes, it’s the better choice most of the time.
Here we totally do not have those. Some streets have a bike-lane, but only for a short while and the street would be the least place I’d like to drive.
As you said, people aren’t that careful with cyclists and I’d be highly vulnerable.
Dedicated bike-lanes that are NOT on a “normal” road, I’ve yet to see there (that are more than just some alibi)
In the city it’s actually even more feasible for bikes than rural. Simply because traffic is mostly standing still or extremely slow. But rural is a nightmare. People drive like total arses. It’s mostly 100kmh limit on bad visibility curvy narrow roads and locals rarely even stay below that max speed. Even at night. It’s dangerous to drive a car there, let alone a bike. We have a house in a nice forest far away from people, but we’d shit our pants in a bike there. Locals are thinking that the road belongs to them alone. Usually it’s “ok”, as you rarely ever see other people, but when you do, they, too, drive like maniacs and then you meet on said narrow road in a tight curve at night…
Our neighbors, the dutch, have it waaaaaaay better. A bike would be really really useful there. Lanes all the time, people respect bikes and are more careful, if they even meet. That’s awesome. We are in bike-midage…
Sure it is…but on a German highway it would be dangerous to drive slower. Imagine one asswipe coming at you with three tines that speed and couldn’t avoid you…also it’s the default max speed of trucks and noone really drives behind those. So you’re usually in peace and relatively safe.
I don’t drive. I’m sure I could even if I’m afraid to do it, but I don’t like cars and society forcing us to drive partly for this reason. People drive lethal metal boxes everywhere without really thinking about it.
Cars are one of the most deadly things in a lot of countries and yet, they are totally normalised.
In Canada alone, in one year, nearly 2000 people died from car collisions. And distracted driving accounts for about 20% of those.
It’s why I prefer to cycle, and on segregated paths if possible. Because when I cycle on the road, I always have this kind of thoughts in the back of my mind. What if the person driving a multi ton projectile coming behind me at speed, is day dreaming and “didn’t see me”, even if I’m dressed in bright orange?
Sorry to be so serious about a meme but, yeaaah.
You’re totally right, kinda. But isn’t your conclusion way more dangerous than actually driving the deadly metal-box yourself? Being a pedestrian or, even worse, cyclist, you’re a highly vulnerable squishy flesh-thingy surrounded by deadly murder-boxes.
The safest people out there are bus- and truckdrivers. I mean truck-trucks, not those murican abominations like the rams and f150s and the likes.
Personally, I rarely drive faster than 80kmh (50mph). Even on the highway where people go totally bonkers all the time. We should have a speed-limit on highways…
Perhaps but it’s counter productive to just get bigger and bigger vehicles in order to be “safer” and crush everything else around. It’s a race to the bottom to which I do not wish to participate. At least where I live we are “lucky” enough to have multiple abandoned railways in the countryside that have been turned into bike trails, so I generally use these. I can cycle to my parents’ using two bike trails, without cars, for 140 km. Otherwise I specifically moved in a city with good bike and transit infrastructure (Montreal) so that I don’t need to drive a giant lethal metal box that pollutes and takes space.
Anyway because I think cars are insane and avoid them at all costs, my chances of dying while I’m inside one are lower than someone using one daily. It’s also one less deadly machine on the road. I’m not getting in a car to go to the grocery store or to go run errands. I’m not getting in a car every day to go to work. When I cycle it’s usually on dedicated infrastructure, on in bike lanes.
From my point of view, even if I have to mix with cars sometimes while cycling, even if I fear for my life and wish people driving cars would be more careful while passing, it’s usually an exception, and I feel much safer at 20 km/h on “my” dedicated bike path than sitting in a car surrounded by other cars and trucks.
OK sure, if you have the infrastructure for bikes, it’s the better choice most of the time. Here we totally do not have those. Some streets have a bike-lane, but only for a short while and the street would be the least place I’d like to drive. As you said, people aren’t that careful with cyclists and I’d be highly vulnerable. Dedicated bike-lanes that are NOT on a “normal” road, I’ve yet to see there (that are more than just some alibi)
In the city it’s actually even more feasible for bikes than rural. Simply because traffic is mostly standing still or extremely slow. But rural is a nightmare. People drive like total arses. It’s mostly 100kmh limit on bad visibility curvy narrow roads and locals rarely even stay below that max speed. Even at night. It’s dangerous to drive a car there, let alone a bike. We have a house in a nice forest far away from people, but we’d shit our pants in a bike there. Locals are thinking that the road belongs to them alone. Usually it’s “ok”, as you rarely ever see other people, but when you do, they, too, drive like maniacs and then you meet on said narrow road in a tight curve at night…
Our neighbors, the dutch, have it waaaaaaay better. A bike would be really really useful there. Lanes all the time, people respect bikes and are more careful, if they even meet. That’s awesome. We are in bike-midage…
Exactly. If we “arm up”, everyone would be driving these despicable large land ships like in the USA.
80km/h is still very fast and dangerous
Sure it is…but on a German highway it would be dangerous to drive slower. Imagine one asswipe coming at you with three tines that speed and couldn’t avoid you…also it’s the default max speed of trucks and noone really drives behind those. So you’re usually in peace and relatively safe.