I'm not convinced the "safety in numbers" hypothesis holds much water, but losing cyclists makes me sad even if it doesn't affect me. I can't really judge without being a hypocrite since I have decreased the number of roads I'm willing to ride on and the times of day that I'll be there. (I used to be like Joey of old: any road, any time, any load, though our riding styles were worlds apart.) I make my own work schedule, both for time of day and amount of time, so it doesn't change the amount I ride much to restrict my locations other than my annual "no December" rule, which is entirely based on motorist behavior. (Not that it matters much this year since I'm down with post-surgery banishment from my bikes for another ten days.)
I don't know if it's possible, but perhaps a bit of contact with your local roads department (traffic engineers, transportation planners) or even elected officials who have expressed an understanding of the need to get cars off the road could help improve conditions over time. Often, these people have no idea that the way they are doing things is putting people back into cars.