We both agree that in general, riding the sidewalks can be dangerous. However, as you pointed out, sometimes the sidewalk is safer than riding in really heavy traffic.
The big risk of riding the sidewalk is crossing over driveways and at intersections. Just be cognicent of these risks and be careful.
Spot on
I think SPEED is key. When I am passing thru these types of areas, I slow waaaaaaaaay down (reaction time).