To a large extent, most transportation infrastructure is designed with the primary goal of getting motor vehicles from place to place as efficiently as possible, Schlabowske said, adding that as infrastructure becomes more complete and incorporates bicycle transportation, a higher degree of compliance is likely to follow.

The Bike Fed does its part, through classes, visits to drivers' education classes and other efforts, to educate bicyclists and motorists about safety and the rules of the road.

"Everybody fares best when we all obey all the rules of the road all the time," he said.

It's likely that much of the bike-versus-car war is fueled by where you're going, how you're getting there and how much trouble you're having. If a bicyclist gets cut off by a car, that person will probably feel personally threatened, Schlabowske said. On the flip side, if you're driving a car and stuck in traffic, and you happen to notice a bicyclist zip through a gap in a red light, that's likely to be the image that sticks with you at the end of your commute.

"A lot of what this comes down to is people’s anecdotal perception, based on a mode of transportation they don’t often use," he said. "Some people tend to focus on the negative."