2 My first thought was, "As a driver, I hate you." Then I remembered all of the times idiot drivers have almost hit me :-(
3 One thing to consider with this: In my experience, drivers tend to go where their eyes are looking. If you make a driver concentrate on you, they are concentrating less on the road, and may end up plowing into you.
1 @Jack M., @studiohack: I'm very much on the side of safer cycling in this, but there's very little in the way of firm data on either side of this. I'd very much like to see some proper studies with this startling finding.
1 @neilfein That study was from a few years ago and, if you read the actual paper, probably counts as "proper study", the researcher had been kitted out with proximity sensors and was based on hundreds of interactions with vehicles. He was interviewed recently on the BBC Radio 4 programme, More or Less (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/more_or_less/8949827.stm) where he did admit that there were flaws, but that it was pretty much the state of the art at the moment.
3 +1 for the country suggestion, love it! :P
2 It's disturbing that this question has so many upvotes.
1 +1, don't forget that while this may keep YOU safe, you can't take up all of the driver's attention or he could kill someone else. Also, an alternate to weaving in and out is to just look back a few times as the vehicle approaches. This serves two purposes: it tells the driver that you're worried about the space you have and it also keeps you informed.
1 would it be better to "waive" you way along say between 1/6 cross the lane and 1/3 across the line?
1 Possibly good advice, but this really doesn't answer the question.
4 This is also a good way to avoid riding in the door zone.
8 @Ian @neilfein I think that this answer is much better than the prison movie logic of convincing everyone you share the road with that you're crazy. There are a lot of drivers on the road, and it's better to focus on clearly claiming your space than putting on a performance for each of them.
3 +1 I've been intentionally run off the road 3 times in my life (driver looking backward over his shoulder at me to make sure he does a 'good' job of it), and shoved on the shoulder once. All of those times, I was riding carefully, not obstructing their ability to pass. I'm not sure antagonizing these folks any more is wise.
1 @Jay - If someone's on the fence about running you off the road, they might hesitate if you have safety gear and are riding legally -- i.e., that makes them clearly in the wrong.
1 Exactly, hence the +1. Good visibility and competent riding are best. In my cases, it clearly didn't matter, because they were all just future felons (imho).
1 are you saying you ride on the wrong side of the road? If so, that's quite illegal in most areas.
1 I have read that the car overtaking the cyclist constitutes only 0.2% of bicycle accidents. I can't find the source for this, but it was a reputable bike safety website. In general, one hears that doors and intersections are dangerous. Do you have a source for your claim about the largest cause of accidents?
3 -1, Getting first in line at a stop sign or a light will antagonize drivers. Taking the lane (where sharing the lane is dangerous or impossible) is a safe way to cycle.
2 My first thought was, "As a driver, I hate you." Then I remembered all of the times idiot drivers have almost hit me :-(
3 One thing to consider with this: In my experience, drivers tend to go where their eyes are looking. If you make a driver concentrate on you, they are concentrating less on the road, and may end up plowing into you.
1 @Jack M., @studiohack: I'm very much on the side of safer cycling in this, but there's very little in the way of firm data on either side of this. I'd very much like to see some proper studies with this startling finding.
1 @neilfein That study was from a few years ago and, if you read the actual paper, probably counts as "proper study", the researcher had been kitted out with proximity sensors and was based on hundreds of interactions with vehicles. He was interviewed recently on the BBC Radio 4 programme, More or Less (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/more_or_less/8949827.stm) where he did admit that there were flaws, but that it was pretty much the state of the art at the moment.
3 +1 for the country suggestion, love it! :P
2 It's disturbing that this question has so many upvotes.
1 +1, don't forget that while this may keep YOU safe, you can't take up all of the driver's attention or he could kill someone else. Also, an alternate to weaving in and out is to just look back a few times as the vehicle approaches. This serves two purposes: it tells the driver that you're worried about the space you have and it also keeps you informed.
1 would it be better to "waive" you way along say between 1/6 cross the lane and 1/3 across the line?
1 Possibly good advice, but this really 
doesn't answer the question.
4 This is also a good way to avoid riding in the door zone.
8 @Ian @neilfein I think that this answer is much better than the prison movie logic of convincing everyone you share the road with that you're crazy. There are a lot of drivers on the road, and it's better to focus on clearly claiming your space than putting on a performance for each of them.
3 +1 I've been intentionally run off the road 3 times in my life (driver looking backward over his shoulder at me to make sure he does a 'good' job of it), and shoved on the shoulder once. All of those times, I was riding carefully, not obstructing their ability to pass. I'm not sure antagonizing these folks any more is wise.
1 @Jay - If someone's on the fence about running you off the road, they might hesitate if you have safety gear and are riding legally -- i.e., that makes them clearly in the wrong.
1 Exactly, hence the +1. Good visibility and competent riding are best. In my cases, it clearly didn't matter, because they were all just future felons (imho).
1 are you saying you ride on the wrong side of the road? If so, that's quite illegal in most areas.
1 I have read that the car overtaking the cyclist constitutes only 0.2% of bicycle accidents. I can't find the source for this, but it was a reputable bike safety website. In general, one hears that doors and intersections are dangerous. Do you have a source for your claim about the largest cause of accidents?
3 -1, Getting first in line at a stop sign or a light will antagonize drivers. Taking the lane (where sharing the lane is dangerous or impossible) is a safe way to cycle.