Originally Posted by
neil
Risks exist, but in the grand scheme of things, cycling is among the safer activities you can engage in, to the point where spending time on your bike extends, rather than shortens your life expectancy.
That we spend so much time discussing this stuff is simply because the perception of cycling safety and the reality of cycling safety are such very different things. And I'm not sure how else you counter a false impression than what's been suggested here.
To be fair, based on the OP's description of his route (lots of high speed 5-lane shoulderless roads), I wouldn't deny the possibility that cycling is more dangerous than driving. What should count is that steps are being taken to mitigate this risk (high-vis gear, bright flashing lights, etc)