I was a hardcore commuter in the Los Angeles area from 2009-2014. This is one of the most bike friendly places in the USA and it is definitely not safe here. I was hit 6 times while commuting. The last one left me partially disabled. It is a culture problem here. All of my major crashes were from driveways and illegal u-turns. I think the only solution here is forced awareness. Every time I was hit it was an incompetent and unaware idiot driver and completely preventable. This should be just like a DUI with a mandatory fine and loss of license for a year. That kind of consequence would force a reasonable cultural awareness and responsible driving.