Thought I'd share an excerpt from this paper I'm reading, which addresses the Rob Ford issue in a new way:
"..In the United States the evlevated risks of cycling appear to be magnified by the cultural attitudes that attribute cycling accidents to the supposedly intrinsic perils of bicycles. In contrast, motorist casualties are not ordinarily associated with the idea that driving is dangerous. From there it is a short step to blaming cyclists for their own peril, an attitude that permeates the reactions of everyone from police and courts to the cyclists' own family and friends and contributes to cyclists' marginal status. Thus, measures to reduce the statistical frequency of cycling accidents may need to be coupled with efforts to change public understanding of the nature of road dangers- a difficult task at best."