Originally Posted by
chephy
It doesn't happen to me often, but occasionally I do get the door popped right as I am passing by a parked car, and from the startled look of the driver I just KNOW he hasn't checked his mirrors and the only thing that saved me was that I stayed out of the "death strip".
It's a priceless time to use an Airzound or GaleForce; even if you're far enough out, giving them the scare might make them more careful next time. I once knew a guy who had lost two fingers opening a door into traffic; they were still hooked in the handle when a 60MPH car took the door off, so it's not just the passing cyclists that are in danger from inattentive door opening.
As for the original question, I worry a lot less about dying in traffic than I do about being permanently disabled. I lost my father when I was young, so I know my kids (just got the test results back; should be plural by next summer) will be able to get on with their lives without me, and probably more easily than if they're watching me vegetate in a hospital bed.