just got back from visiting family in south-central IL. I was going to take my bike and ride, but didn't for fear of something like this happening. That is the sad truth.

In my eyes, a mostly deserted rural road is actually the most dangerous place to be. No driver really pays attention, because they don't have to most of the time. They also aren't particularly welcoming of bikes on the road, and may not expect them to be around. Basically, they're not conducting their vehicles properly.

Safety wise, I'll take a moderately busy city street over a 2-lane country road with no shoulder.

Also, most old people really do suck at driving. It gets dangerous when their reaction time has slowed more than they realize, and they don't adjust to compensate. For every granny driving 15 mph in an effort to be safe, there's a blind grandpa pushing 90 on the highway.