Originally Posted by
TruF
I just read the latest Bicycling magazine and got really frightened while reading their article about vehicle versus bike "accidents." What really hit home is that the examples are from the area where I live. Now I'm wondering if it's stupid to do any riding on the road.
On the other hand, I wonder if the chances of being killed while riding a bike on roads is any higher than being killed by another vehicle while driving or jogging. Thoughts?
I feel safer riding my bike on the rural roads in my area than driving my van to work.
The majority of my biking is done on rural roads with light traffic. I wear visible clothing, obey traffic rules and try to use common sense when cars are in the area. Most drivers give me plenty of space when passing and stay behind me until it's safe to pass on a hill or curve.
I don't commute to work by bike since it's a 30 mile ride and through one of the most congested areas in the county and another area with a very high crime rate. Hell, I don't even like driving through the one area. I could count on one hand the number of cyclist I've seen on my drive to work over the last few years.
I feel if you choose the roads wisely and pay attention to your surroundings you'll be just as safe on the bike as you are in a vehicle.