Chris0516

They think. They will increase the chance of the driver seeing the cyclist. When all they are doing is. Increasing the chance of an accident. By a vehicle hitting the cyclist at an increased rate of speed.

noimagination

I hope no one is saying that salmoning is wrong in every circumstance. See above for a great example where salmoning might be wise.

However, as a general rule, riding with the flow of traffic is safer as many have stated.
1) At every intersection, parking lot entrance, driveway and other entry to the roadway, drivers are looking towards the flow of traffic before pulling out. Many (most?) do not check for traffic coming against the flow before pulling out. If you watch, their eyes generally follow the last car before the gap into which they intent to pull their car. Many/most never look in the lane of travel they are pulling into until the last instant.
2) At every intersection, turning traffic will not be looking for "traffic" coming against the flow. Even if, as a cyclist, you're aware of the danger it can sometimes be difficult to see what oncoming/following traffic is doing (right turners could be hidden by the car immediately in front of you; left turners are behind you and could be on the other side of traffic making it tough to see them).
3) Less time to react - not only the combined speeds, the unexpectedness (to the driver) of oncoming traffic, but also imagine coming around a blind curve with little/no shoulder and facing an oncoming cyclist.
4) All of the traffic signs, traffic lights, etc. that apply to your direction of travel are facing away from you.

350htrr

It all depends on speed, if you are cycling at walking speed, no, you do not increase your chance of being hit by a vehicle, maybe, you actually would/could be reducing it.... BUT... any faster …. Yes you do actually increase the risk factor, JMO as a vehicle driver too, not just as a bicyclist…

Maelochs

Came across a salmon this evening. because of construction, the far lane had a like of Jersey barriers along the fog line, and this person chose to rid in the breakdown lane going the wrong way instead of taking the lane.

Of course, this forced me out into traffic---she basically said, "It is too dangerous for me, but screw you."

I wished I had stopped, blocked her way, and explained the law and what she should do---if she was going to ride straight at me at undiminished speed, taking the whole breakdown lane ... she could at least stop and pull to one side so I could pass more safely.

However, I did not stop, I did not say anything more than that she was going the wrong way, and she probably thinks I am a jerk for expecting her to ride safely instead of pushing me out into traffic.

That's life.

noimagination

(Ignoring the question of why one would want to ride at a walking pace, why not just...walk???)

Hmm, not sure how you would reduce your chance of being hit by riding at a walking pace. The hazards I listed still apply. Riding a bike, you cannot stop as quickly as a pedestrian can, you cannot change directions as quickly, you cannot accelerate as quickly, you're taking up more space, etc... (not to mention the possibility of keeling over ŕ la Arte Johnson). Most of the reasons for walking facing traffic simply do not apply to riding a bike. Which is why traffic laws require cyclists to ride in the same direction as traffic, and why it is recommended that pedestrians, in the absence of a sidewalk, walk facing traffic.

No practice is safe in every possible scenario. We're responsible for using our judgement to keep ourselves safe. Sometimes that will mean riding against traffic, but most of the time it won't.

--------

Maelochs

Bleep. If a car is going to hit you coming head-on, your escape routes are so limited you are pretty much going down anyway ... even if you are riding at three mph (which is probably less stable than twice as fast.)

And again ... what if someone is riding Properly and meets you? Do you just gamble that that won't happen?

As I said, I am pretty tired of being pushed into traffic be people who don;t know how to ride a bike properly. I have never seen a wrong-way rider pull over to let me by ....

It's funny, all these excuses for wrong-way riding ... how many would fly if we were Driving the wrong way? But we can break the law, because we are cyclists .... but if a Driver breaks the law, we want to the harshest penalties to prevent that sort of behavior in the future.

If you cannot ride a bike safely on the road, stick to MUPs.

Notso_fastLane

I usually stop, point my front wheel at the curb, so I'm angled in a way that the salmon is the one forced to go around against traffic. They want to ride that way, they can deal with it.

Daniel4

Isn't there a moral or ethical issue that if you're currently in the safer position and the salmoner is already in the more hazardous position, you're increasing his risk even further when you don't have to?

Rick

The law breakers are the ones that should be endangered not the law abiding citizens. The ones who break the law are the ones without morals.

Notso_fastLane

No. If the salmon really is that concerned about it, they can stop, get on the sidewalk, and walk around me. I'm not endangering myself because they are knowingly or unknowingly breaking the law or otherwise being unsage.
I wouldn't go so far as to say they don't have morals. I am willing to stipulate they might not know any better. That doesn't change my action in protecting myself, though.