Cyclists cause 10% of car-bike accidents

[marybee]

While the researcher (victim of a car crash himself) who did this study found that 10% of car-bike crashes in Toronto are cyclist-caused, research done by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) has found that it's something like 50% of all bike-car crashes are caused by the cyclist. But let me back up...
--50% of bike crashes involve just the rider, wiping out, losing control of the bike, etc.
--for adults riders, 50% of the bike-car crashes are caused by cyclists, the other 50% by cars....
but in any event, it makes little difference whose fault it is, if you're dead or in the hospital for an extended period. In a car-bike collision, the car is ALWAYS going to win, so ride defensively, and know how to control your bike, and know how to maneuver it when car drivers do dumb things. This will prevent 90% of all crashes, according to LAB.

I am a LAB certified bike safety instructor, and I see, all the time, cyclists blowing through stop signs, blowing through stoplights, riding the wrong way down the street, helmetless, hugging the curb while going straight in front of a car making a right-hand turn, riding at night without lights, riding down the sidewalk and then blasting through the crosswalk... well I could go on and on. From my perspective, I'd say only about 50%-60% of all cyclists I see ride like they belong on the road.