Originally Posted by
FBinNY
One of the dangers of comparing accident data and designs from Denmark or the Netherlands to our own is that possibly the largest factor isn't considered. IMO- the biggest contributor to the relative dangers is whether drivers are used to and expecting bicycles or not. Where drivers see bicycles every day on every road, they grow more attentive to them, see them sooner, and adjust their driving habits accordingly.
Very true. The most frightening ride I've ever done was riding from the Nashville airport to the Natchez Trace trailhead. People in Nashville simply did not know how to act around a bicycle. It's the only time I've ever ridden sidewalks in a major city. I felt like I was totally invisible.