As bicycle safety measures increase due to an steadily increasing number of cyclists taking their bikes onto the road, a call has gone out for more scientific proof as to which style of riding in traffic is safer.
Advocates split into two camps: some state that "establishing the lane" a better procedure than the more aggressive "taking the lane" strategy, and others disagree. "Establishing the lane" means riding only a few feet from the curb, leaving a great amount of space between the biker and passing traffic in nearby lanes. "Taking the lane," however, means riding in the center of the lane, essentially riding a bike in the same position as a regular car.
Some states have laws establishing a certain distance motorists must keep from riders, but less of a consensus exists as to where the cyclist themselves should position themselves in relation to motorists. The primary indicator present in most urban areas is the growing number of cycling lanes, which helps sort out problems in certain areas, but bike lanes are not always present and are rarely found outside high-traffic areas where sorting might be less necessary.
When pressed for a decent answer, many are dumbfounded to find studies that support particular actions as to bicycle construction or very broad things like safe distances between riders and drivers, but not studies that conjecture as to which lane position is safer. As something of a consolation, studies do prove that more accidents occur on unpaved roads and between cyclists and pedestrians than between cyclists and cars. However, this does not provide an answer to a basic safety question.
If you need security concerning your bicycle itself, turn to a trusted name in bicycle security. Quality bike locks can be found at A&Js' bike locks.