Advocacy & Safety - How to calm an anxious significant other

As my rides are expanding distance-wise, I'm starting to do a lot of riding on major roads that see 55mph traffic. This has my girlfriend really, really anxious about my safety, she's worried I'm going to fall in front of a car and get killed or be run down by some reckless teenager doing 90mph out in the country. Anyone got any kind of relevant figures or things I can tell her so she won't be so worried about my safety?

Marry her or get a new girl friend.

For recreational rides, select your route, time of day, weather, etc. to maximize your own safety. I favor weekend mornings just after dawn. I still believe the health benefits of cycling outweigh the dangers, and since there are no guarantees in life, we just have to do what we can to improve our own odds.

There are some roads I used to ride on that I no longer do, as I've come to decide they're not worth the risk.

I never had any accidents on those roads, nor close calls, but these days, I prefer a greater margin of error.

I don't know what your roads look like, but it's a good idea to re-do risk assessments now and then.

Get her on a bike and show her it's not as bad as she thinks. ;)

Tell her that your finding cycling is a little too tame for you and you are considering taking up sky diving.

I always like to quote this source: (found with other info here (http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/almanac-safety.html))

Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks. "The gain of 'life years' through improved fitness among regular cyclists, and thus their increased longevity exceeds the loss of 'life years' in cycle fatalities. (British Medical Association, 1992) An analysis based on the life expectancy of each cyclist killed in road accidents using actuarial data, and the increased longevity of those engaging in exercise regimes several times a week compared with those leading relatively sedentary lives, has shown that, even in the current cycle hostile environment, the benefits in terms of life years gained, outweigh life years lost in cycling fatalities by a factor of around 20 to 1." -- Mayer Hillman, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Policy Studies Institute, and British Medical Association researcher (7, 8)

Break up with her.

Make her the beneficiary of your death insurance policy.

She may be correct.
Due to your cycling abilities and all of the wannabe stock-car crackers on the road there,your death is imminent.

Tell her to get on her bicycle and come with you.

For recreational rides, select your route, time of day, weather, etc. to maximize your own safety. I favor weekend mornings just after dawn. I still believe the health benefits of cycling outweigh the dangers, and since there are no guarantees in life, we just have to do what we can to improve our own odds.

This is an excellent point. Time and day makes a huge difference. I can think of some roads (Mulholland Hwy comes to mind) that are nice relaxing rides on a weekend that make me feel like a duck in a shooting gallery during rush hour.

Here near Los Angeles things are much nicer up til about noon than they are later. Nicer for the OP and nicer in the terms his GF is using.

Show her one of JoeyBike's videos. That should calm her nerves.