On 28-01-18 06:35, Frank Krygowski wrote:

And I agree with the concept. As I've mentioned before, we were staying
with (new) friends in Zurich, and they took us on a walking tour of the
city. At that time, they had just passed a "strict liability" law like
you describe. Our friends told us it absolutely transformed the
experience of walking (and IIRC bicycling) around the city.

Isn't one of our newer posters from there? Any comment?

That could be me...

I've been reading the local newspaper (Tages Anzeiger) everyday for
decades, and I don't remember ever seeing something like this. Maybe it
was a long time ago? In any event, I generally feel safe riding in
Zurich. The city has helped, for example by sometimes reserving the
sidewalk on one side of a street just for bicycles, by allowing bicycles
on small roads where otherwise non-resident traffic is forbidden, and by
establishing sensible bike lanes (wide enough to avoid the door zone).
Besides this, over the years I've worked out my own ways to get through
the city, mostly avoiding heavy traffic. I also signal for turns, stop
for red lights, and generally try to behave in a predictable way.

Another factor is that there are enough people on bicycles here that
drivers are used to seeing them. Years ago I went for a ride while
visiting Cincinnati, and had the impression that a lot of drivers had
never encountered a bicycle before. That seemed scary.


Ned