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@errm_rich
This has almost certainly been said before but a driving test should include mandatory 'empathy' components, including a cycling proficiency test. It will be impossible to change people's perception of cycling without them experiencing what effect their actions have on other road users. The precendent that a driving test should include more than just the ability to understand and obey rules and actually encompass your competence as a road user has already been set in places like Finland.
This will definitely be unpopular (and again has probably been said before) but cyclists should take more responsibility for their occupation of the road. If you run a red light, go the wrong way down a one way street or ride on the pavement you should expect to face the same penalties as any other road user.
From my experience the animosity that most cyclists face is based on a perception of irresponsibilty; increase responsibility for cyclists, increase empathy in drivers, clarify contentious issues (those mentioned in OP) and you create an environment that should make this kind of discussion irrelevant.