Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes people drive more (2015)

Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by ummonk on Saturday December 29, 2018 @12:41AM (#18782098)

>4) You could cycle the long distances needed on the road, but the US has made it legal to kill people with your car so long as you're sober, so this is dangerous.

No, the US accepts that traffic accidents happen, and absent irresponsible behavior like drunk driving, drivers should not be held responsible for accidents. When these accidents involve collisions between cars, they're usually simple fender-benders. When similar collisions happen between cars and bicycles, they often lead to serious injury or even death.

It's an extremely dangerous idea to have bicycles and cars travelling side by side in such close proximity with such narrow bicycle lanes. What we need is proper bike lanes with lane separators protecting them from traffic.

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Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by CalRobert on Saturday December 29, 2018 @03:00AM (#18782560)

I think operating your car in a way that kills a cyclist, where there could be cyclists (anywhere not the freeway) should be criminal negligence, not an "accident". Presumed liability laws exist in places that are nice to cycle so drivers know they could face real legal consequences.

I can't go accidentally shooting people on the street and expect just a fine.

Generally people who kill others with their car get off fine, so long as they're sober. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-t...

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Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by ummonk on Saturday December 29, 2018 @01:19PM (#18784895)

>I can't go accidentally shooting people on the street and expect just a fine.

On the other hand if a gun range built a pathway for people downrange right by the targets, you wouldn't be the one responsible if you accidently shoot someone. It would be the gun range's fault for creating such a dangerous setup in the first place.

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Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by CalRobert on Saturday December 29, 2018 @02:38PM (#18785291)

Very true. The designers of modern roads are culpable for many, many deaths. People were outraged much as we are by school shootings when drivers first started killing people. http://thedollop.libsyn.com/193-when-the-cars-came

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Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by ndnxhs on Saturday December 29, 2018 @04:10AM (#18782760)

Agreed. If you are driving in an area where there are bikes or pedestrians around you should slow to about 30km/h.

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Re:Fundamental rule of traffic: building new roads makes peo... by CalRobert on Saturday December 29, 2018 @06:06AM (#18783086)

If hit at 25 mph people survive 90% of the time. At 50 mph they die 90% of the time. Yet many cities in the US plop 45 mph roads where people live.

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