This depends on relative numbers and local culture; if there's not many cyclists and drivers behave aggressively or recklessly towards them, cycle lanes encourage people to try it in comparative safety.
If there is a dedicated cycle lane and a cyclist disturbs cars traffic (which bikes usually do simply because they tend to go much slower than cars) by insisting on cycling on the road I can understand that drivers do not appreciate it, though it of course does not excuse dangerous maneuvers.
In Germany there used to be a a general obligation to use bike-lanes when present, which was overturned by court, because of the safety argument.
As a cyclist I'm harassed at least once a weak by drivers who think I should use the non-obligatory bike-lane. This makes it very difficult to consciously chose the safer road instead of the (too narrow, too badly lit, too close to foot-traffic, too damaged, full of glass shards) bike-lane.
I think that the solution, as I mentioned in another comment, is to build 'proper' bike lanes instead of painting a 1m wide corridor on the side of the road and calling that a "bike lane". Obviously this usually can only be done when building a new road.
Yeah, for Berlin at least it's a very difficult question trying to find out how to move forward from the current half-assed state of affairs.
There is some sort of new law/policy that defines how proper bike infrastructure should look like [1] defining minimum width and stating that bike-lines should not be put onto foot-walks. However not many actions where performed based on that law which was also drafted in a way that prevents bringing forward proper legal action when not adhered to.
Maybe also something needs to be done WRT driving school, where bike-related issues are not really taught as far as I'm aware of. Most drivers (and maybe most teachers at driving school) still believe that cyclists do not belong onto the road and do not understand how driver behaviour endangers them. Minimum car<->bike overtaking distance (1.5 m) for example is generally ignored by more than half of cars.
[1] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Mobilit%C3%A4tsgesetz
There should not be a set of skills to acquire to be on a road with cars. Roads in city centers should be safe enough for children to cycle to school.
For bigger arteries, this is achieved with segregated traffic in bicycle lanes. For smaller roads, this is achieved with sane city centre speed limits and respectful driving. That is the way it is implemented in countries like the Netherlands and they are in no way achieving this with extraordinarily skilled drivers or cyclists.
Your skills on a bicycle should be as basic as keeping safety distances and signaling your intentions. If I am putting 3 tonnes of metal in motion, it is ny duty to not act recklessly. This is the mindset that needs to change (on top of the infrastructure change).
Not to be rude, but is the worst example I've ever seen of arguing against the weakest possible reading of something the comment you are replying to didn't say.
I've raced bikes and been in bike-on-bike crashes at 70km/h, and I've been hit by a car when I was riding at about 20km/h. Give me the bike-on-bike crash any day.
I'm not a huge fan of bike lanes, but OTOH I have to admit I've basically stopped riding most roads after being hit and having constant near misses.
There are +-2 countries that I've seen implement bikes seriously - Netherlands and Denmark. Both have more bikes than residents AFAIK. The magic is to have dedicated bike lanes that nobody else uses. You only slow down/stop on intersections with car roads or pedestrian paths, otherwise its all for you, wide enough to overtake slower biker.
Every time I drive I encounter cyclists. Sometimes I have to drive more slowly than I might want to for a short time, while I’m waiting for a safe opportunity to overtake. Not once, ever, have I found it difficult to avoid the cyclist safely. Anyone who finds this difficult would not be fit to operate a motor vehicle.
Also at intersections, being really quick at acceleration allows you to get out of the danger zone of cars crossing your path before there's a conflict. Think about right-turning trucks starting after a red traffic light.
I think fitness (and maybe reaction time) is some reason why severe cycling accidents seem to happen to older cyclist at a higher rate. In Berlin out of 15 cycling deaths this year, more than half of them are age 60 and higher [1], 3 are beyond 80 years of age.
[1] https://adfc-berlin.de/radverkehr/sicherheit/information-und...
I'm an avid cyclist & ex-motorcyclist. Self preservation & being a courteous road user tops what I might technically be entitled to do.