The guy who does Shifter is in Calgary though he occasionally reports from Vancouver. I also follow him, and he is informative, though I know most of the stuff he offers.

Statistics don't work that way. One incident doesn't change statistics. There is a chance you'll get hit by a car. There's a chance that cycling will prolong your life. Which will happen is unknowable. You can use statistics to make your decisions, but you don't have to. While the risk of getting hit is real, the risk of a shorter life because you don't cycle is higher. That is no comfort to those who die or are seriously injured.

I was seriously hit -- HEAD ON! -- by a car while I was bike-commuting. After I recovered, I decided to keep on bike commuting. That was in 1982. I suspect the chance of being hit are lower now than they were then because I'm more aware and use many newly learned crash avoidance techniques. The more experienced you are, the safer you are.