"They could be cycling if they wanted to."
Spoken like a true young townie
Not when you live twenty miles from the nearest town and you are getting on in years you can't, and unfortunately bad driving/cycling is endemic
The problem with these discussions is that they invariably polarise into interest groups, each one blaming the other, when in fact the blame lies equally on both sides
Motorists have always been thoughtless as far as cyclists are concerned, mainly in misjudging distances and possible speeds and failing to use the mirror when turning left (in Britain)
Groups of cyclists who like to chat to their mates when cycling along are becoming more and more deadly on winding country roads - especially when they travel in packs.
My regular visits have made me more and more aware of the growing tendency towards aggressive selfishness of wannabe road-owners who disregard so many rules in order to 'shorten the road' (a Traveller saying),
I cycled half my life for both work and pleasure, mainly in the town; now I drive out of necessity in a rural area and avoid doing so in the cities like the plague.
Awareness of your own safety and that of others is the issue when getting from A to B
Jim Carroll