Current standards call for roadway travel lanes to be 14 feet wide. Older roads are sometimes narrow as 9 feet. Nine plus five equals fourteen. Five feet of extra width should make it easier to pass the bicycles.
I drive a car, but I ride a bicycle too. When I bike, I always use a rear-view mirror. I would advise every cyclist to get a rearview mirror.
Motorists should check their speed before passing a bicycle. Last month I came up behind a recumbent bicycle while driving my car. I was going too fast. I slowed down to 30MPH, the speed limit. Then the bicycle was gaining on me. Staying 200 feet behind him, I matched speed. He was going 33MPH. Then the SUV behind me started blowing it's horn. I made him wait. 33MPH in a 30MPH zone is fast enough. I sincerely doubt the motorists' story whenever there is an accident. They speed all the time. The fact that the bike was going the speed limit didn't even faze the SUV driver. It's like 24/7 auto racing on the Speed Channel, on our Public Roads!

33 mph in a 30 zone is almost always _not_ fast enough. Most speed limits are around 10 mph below what they should be for most drivers and should be treated as such.

Quote:
"33 mph in a 30 zone is almost always _not_ fast enough. Most speed limits are around 10 mph below what they should be for most drivers..."

Is that so? Have you ever gotten out of paying a speeding ticket using that excuse?