Thanks for the advice, all. With my OP, I did not mean to imply that one type of race was safer than another - just where my inclinations are likely to take me. The attraction of racing to me does mean direct interaction on the road with other competitive racers, which makes time trialing less intriguing.
I think I'll stick with my group rides for at least another few months. I'll hear a lot of banter about upcoming and recent races that way - likely to further pique my interest in participating myself
