> of course, neither accident would have happened had:
>
> 1. they both been riding outside the door zone ...
Fuck me dead, blame the victim ... really? If only we had perfect bicyclists like you and all the drivers were safe and conscientious. Ok, let's make a deal: you deliver on that, and I'll stop wearing my helmet.
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I was walking with a friend once in Ft Lauderdale. We were chatting about the latest ska album that had just come out (that should narrow down the timeframe!). Suddenly we woke up on the ground. It's unclear how long we had been there. Slowly we discerned that a 6' frond from a Royal Palm had fallen from a height of about 100', struck us both, and knocked us both out. My guess, thinking about it later, is that we weren't out for long because maybe a car would have stopped. We both had mild concussions.
You can't possibly have enough situational awareness to avoid every potential accident.
My point of view on this is that the use of safety equipment is always an input to any activity that should be considered in the context of operational risk management.
Here's a quick overview of ORM:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_risk_management
Locomoting (biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, etc.) outside of a vehicle is, literally, a no-brainer: safety equipment is prudent. The one activity where, for me, a helmet is required even as a pedestrian is during activities after an earthquake. My neighborhood has an active emergency preparedness group, and I always wear a helmet to our exercises. Some people chuckle, but usually for several more a light goes off inside, and the next time I see them they are wearing a helmet.
You proudly state that one of the reasons you're "part of the spandex mafia" is that such clothing has a safety consideration. My goodness, did you know that if you get dragged for 100' under a truck that your spandex won't help you much ...?
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Maybe it's my fault that I cracked my helmet; maybe it's his fault that my friend cracked his skull. And maybe one day I (but sorry, not him) will live in a world where:
> 3. the drivers learned to drive with the rule that you look
> behind you for cyclists.
But alas, we don't have such a world yet.
/jordan