I think that if you are riding on the sidewalk it is safer than riding in the street. How could it not be? You are further of the road and you even have a curb to protect you, even though occasionally cars run up the curb, how many times have you seen skid marks that hit the curb and then bounce back. If you were in the street you would be dead, but if you were on the sidewalk you would have been protected. Where sidewalks become dangerous is at intersections.