I also commute about the same distance as you do, and my wife is also concerned. There are two sides to this coin - the rational side, in which the leading cause of death in the US is heart disease - which beats out all accidents by a factor of 6.

You can also look at the statistics for auto accidents vs bicycle accidents, and for an experienced cyclist, the bicycle is a relatively safe form of transportation when compared against an automobile.

Then there is the emotional side of it - which is so much harder to deal with.

In my case, I have a history of heart disease, and I believe that my overall life expectancy is higher commuting on a bike vs driving a car - and my quality of life is much better on the bike. I have talked with my wife, and do things to mitigate the risk of bicycle commuting, including going in to work very early to avoid the worst of the traffic, equipping my bike with lights that makes it impossible to not be seen, and selection of a route which minimizes the 'nasty bits' My wife has bought in to my choice, and supports it to the extent that I don't have a car.

That said, if your commuting is worrying her to the extent that it may jeopardize your relationship - quit - the love of your life is worth the increased risks associated with driving and watching your cardiac health decline. Perhaps by convincing her that by cycling during the week you can spend more time together on weekends?.....

My wife worries. I expect her to worry. I let her know I mitigate the risks as best I can. Sometimes it causes problems but she is understanding for the most part. I worry a little at times too but I worry more that my car is going to break down when I drive it. At least when riding I know how my "engine" is performing.

Did you ever consider the real reason she wants to to drive is so you can do more errands on the way home?

Mrs. Tilton worries about me when ever I'm on the road but sometimes her hospital rotation for med school puts her at a hospital very close to my work and she sees me commuting. When she sees I'm not weaving through traffic, bombing down sidewalks, or running red lights, she is much more at ease. Maybe something like that is all it takes.

One thing I've found, and some may call this sexist, is that women tend to be much more the worry warts than men are. That's not always the case but more often than not the wife worries more than the husband about most things.

What me worry?

Women worry before it happens.......Men worry after it happens......If men worried before,we wouldn't have war......and stupid human tricks!

Your not asking me to think with my big head are you?

So there have been 3 cyclist deaths in your area in 15 years? And how many deaths from car accidents have there been? Showing some stats may help.

In Memphis (and I guess across Tennessee) there are these electronic signs over the freeways that warn of construction delays up ahead. If there are none they say something like "TN automotive deaths: 5xx. Please don't be next" or something like that. The number is nearing 600 for this year. It goes up nearly 100 per month. It's actually pretty depressing going by those signs once a week and the number is always higher than the previous week. But that just shows how much more risk is involved while driving a car vs. riding a bike.

Unfortunately there have been many, many more than that. I'm just referring to the ones that are people we knew or recent high profile incidents that tend to bring up these types of conversations.

I love riding in Tennessee BTW. The 3State3Mtn Challenge is a great century. Another one I really like this the Sequatchie Valley Century. Awesome scenic ride that is well supported.

I might go up for some of the Murfeesboro rides. They seem interesting too.

If you get up Nashville way shoot me a PM. My wife and I live 0.5 mi off the Natchez Trace Parkway @ Milepost 423. We have a cottage called Cycler's Rest. I do alot of night rides on the NTP. In October there's the last leg of the 840 nearby that's going to be opned up for cyclists before it opens for regular traffic. I think it would be a well attended, real fun event. 4 lanes, brand new asphalt? I'm in!

I used to call my wife when I got to work, and call her when I was leaving. That caused one problem; every time her phone would ring with my ringtone ("One Bad Stud" by The Blasters, because she hasn't taken the time to figure out how to change it) her heart would leap into her throat, thinking that she was getting the "both my legs are broken, I'm in the hospital" call.

So now, for routine "I got here" and "I'm leaving" calls, I send a text message instead. She doesn't have to make a mad dash for the phone if she hears it ring, and if she's in the middle of something she doesn't have to stop it to answer. This also has the added advantage that if I DO call, she knows she needs to pick up. Fortunately the last time was just because my chain broke in two places (still trying to figure that one out) and I just needed a ride. (My kids get a big kick out of the occasional "rescue Daddy" missions.)

Thanks nash! that's very gracious of you. You have a date for that event yet? I may just take you up on that!

Yep, my wife had to come rescue me about 50 miles or so into a solo century ride. I blew out the sidewall in my rear tire and that was that. She had to drive from Grayton Beach almost to Defuniak. Then I got to listen to the "should-have-had-a-spare-tire-with-you-on-a-long-solo-ride-dummy-speech" All the way back to the house.

I honestly feel safer riding to work than driving. When I am bike commuting, I mostly ride on neighborhood streets and less traveled roads. When driving, I am riding on much busier roads with more traffic, faster speeds and lots of angry drivers. I have had more close calls driving as well -- such as the person who almost hit me head-on and the old lady who made a left turn in front of me one day. Just the other day, I had to slam on my brakes to avoid someone who switched lanes and then changed their mind.

I also have made every effort to decrease my odds of getting hit while commuting. My bike has 3 bright taillights and a headlight (2 in winter). I wear very bright neon yellow jerseys, jackets and vests. Most importantly, I ride defensively and assume that every driver doesn't see me.

Not to pick on your wife, but I have noticed that people always point it out to me when cyclists are involved in accidents. Yet they seem oblivious to the fact that people are getting killed in car accidents every day. Driving a car is very dangerous, but people minimize the risk involved because it is so familiar to them.

This is one of the big reasons I am considering a GoPro. She worries, but has come to accept that I am going to do it. Showing her that my route is safe will help. I also told her that ,sad but true, most bike/car accidents are faulted to the cyclist. This should allay her fears somewhat, because I don't do those things, like salmoning, sidewalk riding, and blindly blowing stop signs that are the most frequent causes of wrecks.

Find and take a Traffic Skills 101 or Cycling Savvy course in your area. I'd purchase the class before I spent a penny on any equipment...

Also, what's going to get you first? Hit while cycling, or the heart disease or stroke from sedentary life? I don't know about your day, but mine is filled with everything except exercise. If I don't exercise while transporting myself, it isn't going to get done...and you can just re-name me to Jabba the Hutt.