What's your opinion on Cyclists on the road?

[MTBikerTim]

Originally Posted by E-Traxxer

I'm a cyclist somewhat, but I rarely ever ride on the road (mountain bike). I think there are far too many idiot drivers out there that aren't paying attention for me to ride safely, I really don't want to be hit by somebody and lose the function of any of my body parts, concussion, etc. due to somebody else's stupidity. I really can't believe how people think that they can text/read/apply makeup/etc. while driving on a busy street; peripheral vision isn't enough to drive with! I feel uncomfortable just eating or talking on the phone sometimes, since I'm not driving at 100%, how you can text or read is beyond me.
I also think some cyclists are just disrespectful as well, they should recognize when they do or don't have the right of way, and I've seen a few that just act like ***holes.

The other scary thing is that when they hit a cyclist they don't stop. Out of the three accidents my friends have been in with cars, twice the car has driven off. One of them left my mate lying in the middle of the road unconscious and he then spent a week in hospital. The other friend was hit and he had to crawl off the road as no one stopped, his bike was still on the road and people were just driving around him and his bike. Someone did eventually stop and I think called an ambulance.

Also the statistics in some countries say that close to half of all cycling accidents involving motorists, the motorist does not stop.