Driver distractions and bicyclists (Metrolink implications)

The recent Metrolink disaster in LA has gotten me all paranoid about
riding my bike. No, this is not some rationalized excuse for physical
inactivity.

I know the investigation of the Metrolink disaster has yet to be done.
If the engineer of the train was indeed otherwise pre-occupied by text
messaging instead of paying attention to rail signals, I'm afraid the
outlook for bicyclists is grim.

How can a bicyclist stand a chance against an army of drivers reading
the newspaper, shaving, eating, applying mascara, chatting on the cell
phone, and engaging in all manner of activities other than paying
attention to the road?

Please don't recommend separate bike paths as some form of palliative
solution. Relegating cyclists to some ghetto is no solution at all.

On Sep 16, 5:45*am, damyth wrote:
[snip]

How can a bicyclist stand a chance against an army of drivers reading
the newspaper, shaving, eating, applying mascara, chatting on the cell
phone, and engaging in all manner of activities other than paying
attention to the road?

In virtually all jurisdictions, there are existing laws which aim to
prevent such behaviour ("careless driving" is one such catch-all, for
example.) What we need is to have the existing laws enforced. Ask your
city councillor, police chief, and local newspaper for reasons why
they're not, if that is the case.

damyth wrote:
The recent Metrolink disaster in LA has gotten me all paranoid about
riding my bike. No, this is not some rationalized excuse for physical
inactivity.

I know the investigation of the Metrolink disaster has yet to be done.
If the engineer of the train was indeed otherwise pre-occupied by text
messaging instead of paying attention to rail signals, I'm afraid the
outlook for bicyclists is grim.

How can a bicyclist stand a chance against an army of drivers reading
the newspaper, shaving, eating, applying mascara, chatting on the cell
phone, and engaging in all manner of activities other than paying
attention to the road?

Please don't recommend separate bike paths as some form of palliative
solution. Relegating cyclists to some ghetto is no solution at all.
-------------
50% of bicycle fatalities are the fault of the cyclist, so what I try to
concentrate on, is ME not making a mistake. The closet I've ever been
to being outright killed, was a stupid mistake I made in an intersection
(the not being predictable mistake). The only time I've been seriously
injured was, when I made a mistake in a pace line. Maybe I've been
lucky so far, (6000 miles a year for 10 years now), and I've had a few
near misses, where I was doing everything right, to be fair.