I'm absolutely not denying the cyclist needs space and motorists have to give them space. I completely agree with this. I completely agree that the danger is asymmetric.
I'm saying the cyclist still needs that space even when they are moving faster than the cars around them, because they are still in danger even when they are the fastest moving thing in the vicinity.
Cars have blind spots, and cyclists that overtake with insufficient clearance fit precisely into them. Cyclists can still wobble, fall or slip even when they are the ones doing the overtaking, and they still get hurt. Danger is present even when the motorised vehicle is only moving at low speed, because parts of the cyclist and/or bike can still get snagged on parts of the motor vehicle if the cyclist wobbles or falls into it.
I firmly believe insufficient clearance between cyclists and cars is a situation that we can and should avoid with sensible design of cycle paths, roads and junctions. In the sad absence of such, enough clearance has to be maintained to avoid collision if either party stops suddenly or the cyclist wobbles or falls.
In slow or start/stop traffic, the car is generally trapped between other cars and has nowhere to move to; the cyclist is the only party with any control over the situation.
I'm saying the cyclist still needs that space even when they are moving faster than the cars around them, because they are still in danger even when they are the fastest moving thing in the vicinity.
Cars have blind spots, and cyclists that overtake with insufficient clearance fit precisely into them. Cyclists can still wobble, fall or slip even when they are the ones doing the overtaking, and they still get hurt. Danger is present even when the motorised vehicle is only moving at low speed, because parts of the cyclist and/or bike can still get snagged on parts of the motor vehicle if the cyclist wobbles or falls into it.
I firmly believe insufficient clearance between cyclists and cars is a situation that we can and should avoid with sensible design of cycle paths, roads and junctions. In the sad absence of such, enough clearance has to be maintained to avoid collision if either party stops suddenly or the cyclist wobbles or falls.
In slow or start/stop traffic, the car is generally trapped between other cars and has nowhere to move to; the cyclist is the only party with any control over the situation.