Can't agree more with the small car syndrome idea. There are several places around here where roads are single-carriageway one side of a roundabout and dualled the other and the number of eejits in underpowered repmobiles or "family" saloons who pull up alongside as we exit the single-carriageway and then completely fail to keep up with our modern, turbocharged, computer-controlled lightweight small car as it pulls away... well, it would be funny if it didn't lead to road range from the other eejits in genuinely faster vehicles that they blocked.
Tonyf33 wrote:I don't find driving more stressful than cycling, not even close. I don't have fear of not being given enough space, I don't feel the need nor actually need to to drive in a manner that 'empowers' me to be able to hold that space. I don't need to constantly have to overthink every junction that has a vehicle waiting to exit, I don't have in the back of my mind of being struck from behind on 50/60/70mph roads, at pinch points. I don't need to worry about being able to freely move around road defects without being closely passed or struck, frankly the list is endless as to why it is often far more stressful cycling than driving.
YMMV
Yes, my mileage certainly does vary. I don't often have a fear of not being given enough space or need to ride in a hold-the-lane manner or overthink junctions or worry about pinch points or road defects... because I'm usually on a kerb-protected or post-protected track anywhere that's busy. (I do still worry a bit about being struck from behind because some vehicles do jump the kerb without looking when they want to barge past someone waiting to turn right or park - and the number of tyre tracks on the cycle track is rather alarming.)
This is a point often missed, I think. High-quality protected space is about the fun/stress balance more than objective safety - feeling that we may be among the smallest road users, but the highway designers have helped us out (and yes, that does require that they actually help and not just paint white lines on footways). Of course, whether in small car or on a bike, we still need the police to help too and remove more killer motorists from the roads, but there's little hope of that stepping up before 2020 at the moment.