Originally Posted by Jaco
Everyday cyclists are killed by motorists. I think many people choose to ride on MUPs for the simple fact that they don't have to deal with the risk of riding in traffic. I consider myself pretty savy when it comes to riding in traffic, but that doesn't mean I won't jump at any chance to remove that risk.
Statistically, riding on the road is something like three times safer than riding on a path. Something like 80% of bicycle accidents requiring hospitalization do not involve a person other than the cyclist. Roads are safer because you're much less likely to crash due to a poor surface or poor visibility, which is a much greater hazard than getting hit by a car.