Bill Baka wrote:
The road where I have to go wrong way has only 3 driveways in 3 miles,
so I know where to slow down and pay attention. I cruise at about 16mph
but slow down to about 5 when passing driveways. There are no crossroads
to worry about, being very rural. Another part of the problem is that if
I do go on the right side in the afternoon the sun is setting directly
in front of me so someone might not see me due to the glare. I like to
be seen and hence avoided.

Let's do a little math. Assuming traffic on this road is posted at 40 MPH,
which, for most of the US, means traffic is going 50-55 MPH. Traffic is
approaching you (because you are traveling 16 MPH) at a closing speed of 71
MPH. If there's no place for you to go, but you and the oncoming traffic
have to come to a full stop (from 71 MPH) to avoid a collision. But
traveling in the correct direction, the closing speed is only 39 MPH. In
the event that there is no place to go, approaching traffic only has to slow
by 39 MPH to avoid a collision, and they will have about twice as long to do
it. Even in this situation, where there are no side streets, you are in
more danger travelling the wrong way.

I am extrememly cautious when that is a possibility, and sometimes
just get off the bike and act like a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
It doesn't hurt my pride that I have to walk the bike a few feet
once in a while.

Although there are intersections where I do this. There are local traffic
lights with multiple turn lanes where the speed limit on the main street is
65 MPH. No, I am not going to take the lane, I am going to pull to the
right, push the button, and walk across. You can do it from the correct
side of the road. BTW, I don't feel in any significant danger (nor have I
ever had an incident) even though, with a speed limit of 65MPH, there are
vehicles approaching me from behind at 80 MPH.

Several squealing-brake confrontations converted me from a
bikepath-dweller to a road user. I have had no such trouble at
intersections since I started following the law.

This is California where motor vehicles are king and bicycles
are viewed as a nuisance by most of the motorists. I wish they
would put in bike paths but with the budget this year that just
isn't going to happen.

Bike paths have been shown (in most cases) to be more dangerous than the
road. Bike lanes help when located and used appropriately, but bike paths
in the US have a horrible safety record.

I avoid traffic like the plague, but I have to endure about 30
miles each way to get to my gravel and dirt playground where
there is not only no traffic but no people, and no Cell phone signal.
I live in Northern California 40 miles north of Sacramento and
have to ride around Beale Air Force Base to get to the fun stuff.
Putting the bike in one of my cars would just be cheating.

Try following John Allen's advice, just once. His book has been adopted by
several states as their "bicycle operator's manual". Oh, and it just happens
to be the law.

http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm

Austin