***Visual Awareness of Cyclists***

Interesting survey.  I am a daily commuter that often has parts of their ride in the dark, during traffic hours as well as someone who trains during normal daylight hours.  I didn't realize how much I've actually spent on lights, but there is no way I would commute this time of year without them.  Just yesterday my rear tail light died and I was forced to drive to work.  I ended up buying another light from the LBS, ordering another one online, and filing for a warranty replacement of the broken light.  Goal being to have a minimum of two lights with me at all times, and possibly 3 if the warranty comes through (which it should).  I already have two headlights with me.

All that being said, assuming a cyclist does have lights on them, I still think the biggest problem regarding "visual awareness of cyclists" is in relation to the drivers around us and how much attention the pay to non vehicles on the road.  I know I was this way as a driver before I started riding.  If you were not a car without two tail lights in front of me, I didn't really pay much attention to anything else.  Drivers need to be scanning more of the road ahead of them and make assumptions that there may be a cyclist in the shoulder ahead that may possibly have to come back into the lane if the shoulder narrows.  There are many times when I commute where I see drivers in the right lane that drift over the solid white line and in the shoulder because they assume it doesn't matter.  

I truly believe that most drivers who hit or have close calls with cyclists aren't a-holes...they are just not as attentive as they should be because they don't know what it's like to be on a bike with traffic.

Agree with the above.  Also, there are certain situations that drivers take for granted that are very dangerous to cyclists.  For example, turning right on a red light, or turning right into a driveway without checking the bike lane first.  Opening the driver-side door on a parallel parked car into the bike lane is another one I see all the time.