human909 wrote:More cyclists on the road means its safer for everybody. Its much safer for you too if you wear a helmet AND have more cyclists on the road.
I get the feeling that some people dispute the 'safety in numbers' concept - that they don't think it's any safer with more riders about. Maybe they don't do any bunch rides?
Well here's a little test: go for a ride, solo down the busiest road you can think of near you. Note the way traffic behaves around you, how close drivers pass and how you feel.
Now do the same stretch of road, but in a group - it doesn't need to be a huge group, just 4-6 other cyclists, riding two-abreast (as is quite legal). Note now how the traffic behaves, how close drivers pass and how you feel. Even bigger groups of 5-15 have a remarkable effect on taming the passions of drivers
Imagine how differently the drivers of motor vehicles would behave if you were frequently riding with other cyclists, not in any organised fashion, just that there were more other cyclists out there. Drivers' speeds go down, they are forced to
think - about overtaking correctly, about giving way, about caring about a fellow human being. When there's just one rider amongst a maelstrom of car traffic it's too easy to ignore the cyclist.