Originally Posted by
Jaywalk3r
That's the thing. If the problem was as bad as you claim, nearly everyone who practiced the behavior would die. It's the bicycle equivalent of Russian Roulette. They might get away with it a few times, but very few would manage to escape with their lives after doing it regularly. It's a self-limiting behavior. That isn't what is happening, hence the behavior is obviously not as you describe.
I will admit this much. If someone blows red lights, signs and rides in ways drivers would not expect like in the opposite direction of traffic flow or by cutting across traffic lanes, then that rider better be alert as hell. It's awful easy to miss seeing a car.
Now, with the above said and taken into account, assuming someone has reasonable vision and uses it effectively, then the risk of dying by breaking rules of the road is no higher than it would be by following them.