Originally Posted by AlmostTrick

I totally agree that cycling, even in busy or high speed traffic, is not nearly as dangerous as many people believe, especially when done properly. I also don’t believe that anyone who frequents this forum (and is actually a regular cyclist) is contributing to any irrational fears regarding cycling.

When I first decided to start riding to work I came here for advice and found the forum quite helpful. Nothing I read here scared me away from riding. Of course, I was already riding before this but was still nervous about traveling on busy or high speed roads on a regular basis. What I find misleading are the claims by some that cycling is safer than taking a shower, walking down stairs, or sleeping in bed! Sure, these claims may sound good when talking with the naysayers, but they just plain don’t pass the sniff test of a reasonable person. Just because more people may die doing certain everyday tasks doesn’t mean those activities are more dangerous. Just how many people die playing Russian Roulette? Must be way safer than cycling, eh Mr. Brian?

I agree that the common perception is that cycling is way more dangerous than it actually is, and because of that those of us who know better do need to help set the record straight. But this can be done without ignoring or hiding the actual risks, or making silly claims of safety that are not likely to fool any reasonable person.