justJanne

Darum have ich auch fast jede Woche einen Fahrradunfall wenn ich mit dem Rad auf einer Tempo 70 Straße, die eine Rechtsabbiegerspur hat, auf der mittleren Spur fahren muss und Autofahrer mich auf meiner eigenen Spur mit nur wenigen Zentimetern Abstand überholen.

Neulich war das überholen so dicht, dass ein Autofahrer mir mit dem Außenspiegel die In-Ears rausgerissen hat.

Würdest du deine Kinder ab dem Teenie-Alter in so einer Situation zum auf der Straße fahren verpflichten, wie es die StVO vorsieht?

Weil man 90% der Straße eh schon den Autos gegeben hat. In Düsseldorf gibt's in der Fußgängerzone einen großen Fahrradstreifen wo die Fußgänger ständig drin rumstehen und sich aufregen wenn man dort fährt. Und auch bei Fahrradstreifen die neben dem Fußweg sind laufen die Fußgänger gerne mitten auf dem Radweg und regen sich auf wenn man dort langfährt.

Solche Begegnungen werden in diese Statistik gezählt. Aber wenn ein Fußgänger in gleicher Weise einfach mitten auf der A1 rumlaufen würde, würde seine Meinung nicht in diese Statistik zählen, sondern er festgenommen oder in die Psychiatrie eingewiesen werden.

I don't have that sense either. Food, no matter how much I've already eaten, still tastes so incredibly awesome that I just want to continue eating. I only stop once there's nothing left, which is why I cook every meal myself to be able to control portion sizes.

Every other country? IG Metall (Germany) is also preparing to fight Tesla.

"completely different environment", ah, since when is Lemmy US-only?

First off, city streets are by law limited to 50km/h (30mph) in Germany unless the road is physically blocked off from pedestrian access and is designated a motorway. And even that speed is only allowed for major thoroughfares, most city streets are limited to 30km/h (18mph), and many cities are currently arguing for banning 50km/h on city streets entirely.

Streets faster than that need to be physically separated, well-lit, need to have an additional lane or frequent additional locations to park broken down vehicles and need significant setbacks so you can see potential obstructions entering the road early enough to brake in time.

So what I'm taking from this is that the road design where you live is dangerous and substandard.

Now, to the personal appeal:

I did take a defensive driving course before I even started driver's ed, and it was actually the reason I decided not to get a car. Nowadays I do everything — including weekly grocery runs — by bicycle instead.

The average speed in cities is 15-20km/h, primarily caused due to traffic jams and waiting times at stoplights. I can achieve or beat those speeds on a bicycle just as well, without the stakes being as high. If I make a mistake as a driver, it's going to cost lives. If I make a mistake as a bicyclist, no one's going to die. And considering the environmental footprint as well as the monetary costs in terms of road tax, fuel prices and maintenance, it's definitely worth it.

Even if sometimes, people try to kill me by overtaking me far too close while speeding.

How is someone using the road to get to work, school or the grocery store automatically an asshole just because they use a bicycle instead of an SUV or a horse-drawn carriage? Don't they have the same right to use a lane of the road as you do?

(Not talking about lycra-wearing racing-bike cyclists using the road as gym here)

Actually, in EU countries the law explicitly says you have to drive slow enough to react to unexpected changes on the road. If you as a driver hit something or someone, you are automatically at fault because you violated that law. There is an incredibly high burden of proof required to not be at fault as a driver.

But that's usually not an issue, because road planners are only allowed to set speed limits that are low enough that drivers can actually react to unexpected changes. Which is why e.g. the Autobahn has a separate lane for broken down vehicles and significant setbacks and green areas to both sides of the road so you can see from a long distance away if something is in the road.

If you actually think about it, it's absolutely makes sense. The Autobahn has additional stopping lanes for broken down cars and several meters of grass to each side, which means you can safely drive hundreds of kilometers an hour while still being able to see obstructions early enough to brake in time.

Slower motorways have smaller setbacks, but still enough to keep their speeds.

City streets where you can't see people entering the road in time to brake usually have relatively low speed limits to reduce the braking distance as well as the damage caused by a collision.

But if the visibility or braking distance are affected due to weather or broken streetlamps, it's up to you to slow down accordingly. But even for situations like that traffic planners usually add additional signs, it's common to see roads with signs that say

/❄️\
(60)

to warn people to drive slower when the road is freezing or signs that say

/🦌\
(50)
[400m]

to warn of crossing animals in the next 400m and set a lower speed limit.

The same obviously applies when it's not crossing deer but crossing pedestrians.

The speed limit isn't a suggested speed, it's an absolute maximum (excluding motorways with a minimum of 60km/h). If the road is frozen over you can't drive the speed limit either, the same applies when it's slippery due to rain or leaves or when the lights are off.

You always need to be able to react to sudden movement, no matter if it's a pedestrian crossing the street, a motorist leaving their own driveway or even a trash can rolling into the road. It should be in your own best interest to avoid accidents.

The entitled attitude you ascribe to the overtaking drivers but also display yourself is just going to cause problems for everyone. Trying to shave a few seconds off of your commute by speeding in dark areas isn't going to get you home any faster, all you're doing is increasing your own stress level and risking someone's life.

A little bit of respect on the road would go a long way to improve everyone's experience on the road.

Slow. Down. That's all there is to it.