then should i be allowed to walk down the road and impede traffic?

 

Im not refering to the city or neighborhood, mainly back country roads with no shoulder.

I am also really curious to how the insurance works.

 

The chances of a cyclist hitting you is slim to none. Most auto/cycling accidents are caused by the car hitting the cyclist.

 

A friend of mine's dad hit a cyclist. There was no doubt it was the cyclist's fault, so he had to buy a new hood for my buddy's dad. Kind of sucks but...

 

I have no problem with them, unless they are riding two wide, that is jsut rude and unsafe in my opinion.
We will all agree that most do not go as fast as the posted speed limit, and most drivers go above the posted speed limit (if only 1 or 2 mph over). Eventually the motorist is going to have to pass and when they are 2 wide it is the same as passing another car. But people will only pass a car when there is a dotted yellow line for passing, they will pass cyclists whenever they get a chance, be it safe or not.

 

IT's an unresolvovable struggle. Riding 2 wide does hinder the car more, but it's much more pleasant for the cyclist to have their companion to talk to. It's much more difficult when you are front to back because of wind noise etc.

 

My friend had a black vette, he was hit by a cyclist that couldnt stop in time. My friend was at a stand still. Lucky there was no damage so no action was taken.

Cars will be pulled over for going too slow on the road.

Whats wrong with driving in parks or neighborhoods?

Again I think alot depends on the area. Where i live there is no shoulder and the roads are barely big enough for cars.

 

most cyclist-caused accidents will not run into tens of thousands of dollars. A bicycle hitting an Escalade is not going to do a whole lot of damage to the SUV or its occupants. No need to have insurance.

 

I would have to disagree. A deer is capable of causing an expensive accident. I know im going out on a limb but it also depends on what type of car.

some what joking, what if it were an enzo , you better sell your house.

 

A bicycle + rider weighs FAR less than a deer. Most bicycles weigh ~25 lbs right now, so the damage to a car will be magnitudes less than that of a deer (at a few hundred lbs heavier).

Furthermore, bicyclists are covered by homeowners/renter's insurance. If I were to hit a pedestrian while riding my bike, State Farm renter's insurance would pay for the hospital bills, etc. It works sort of like car insurance.

Finally, I think you'd have a lot more to worry about if you hit a person versus if you hit a deer. Deer don't go to the hospital. Deer don't call lawyers.

My advice - learn the rules and regulations of using public roads before you do anything stupid to a bicyclist.