That is sad news. Cyclists are not invulnerable. There's a difference between having confidence and being just plain stupid and cocky.
Speaking of confidence, I have a confidence issue with bridges. There are a lot of bridges in my daily rides and as a fairly new cyclist, they scare me plain and simple. The shoulders are narrow if they exist at all, they're curvy and I worry about speeding motorists not seeing me around the curve and I haven't learned to attack the metal grates on the spans. I mean my heart jumps in my throat every time I ride over the grate of a bridge. Naturally the wheels don't track on it like a road. Half the time I'm walking my bike up these bridges. Not because I lack the strength or my bike can't make it... I'm just plain chicken. My mind makes pictures of the bike losing it's traction and I fall over and a car runs me over. Do I need a bike psych??
Any advice or words of assurance that I'm not crazy and this is a natural fear for a new cyclist? The more I ride, the more I realize there's more to riding than just pedaling.
Kathy