how tall is a tadpole with 26" wheels?
 

Maybe my question should be "how tall is the tallest tadpole?" I have never ridden a bent but think, in my old age, I would love the more comfortable seating. I also want to be doing more touring as well but I am afraid of the low profile, that I will be run over. Does anyone have this same fear?

As far as I know, no one builds a tad with 3- 26" wheels due to lateral forces exerted on the wheels. Smaller wheels are strong enough to handle these loads & therefore preffered. If you want to sit up higher for ground clearance or visibility check out the delta trikes such as Ketweisel Lepus.

Low riding
 

There is an ICE tadpole trike that sits higher, the T. I have had many customers question the safty of sitting low on a trike or other recumbent. Three things matter. Your flag on a trike will be higher than the head of a regular bike rider. If you are riding in traffic, and I hope that there are at least some trails and marked riding lanes where you live, the vehicles stay further away from trikes than bikes. The most important and useful safety virtue of trikes is that, since you don't have to watch the road surface because you are on three wheels, you have all of your attention available to watch others on the road both forward and through two rear view mirrors. I ride only trikes and feel much safer for it. I have absolute directional control because of the lack of wobbling, tipping, crashing, and other possibilities of two-wheeled riding. Braking is also several times better than bikes--you have two braking wheels in front of you and a fast stop won't flip you off.

Test some trikes in a safe area and see how different the riding experience really is.

Chip
recumbenttrikestore.com

I have a safety triangle on the trunk-bag... a bright yellow flagpole with a bright orange flag about 7' off the ground, and a Mars II bright blinking red tail light on the flagpole. If you don't see me, you're not looking... not to mention that the two wheels up front are also pretty easy to see from behind... it is not like I'm as narrow as a bike. I also flash a bright light on the front of my trike to be seen by oncoming traffic. And the trike itself is a bright yellow/orange frame.

Knowing how to ride and command a lane is more important... you can ride to be seen as well. Don't ride next to a line of parked cars (DUH) or you'll get doored. Avoid routes with blind corners, especially ones that that you will be climbing on. The car coming around WILL! make a right turn and cut you off... eye contact is all the rave!

On a trike, or any bike, you are traffic and unfortunately, when an acident happens it is catogorized as just that, an accident. Unfortunately, you are far more vulnerable than the other guy whether it's a car or motorcycle. The laws are changing but ever so slowly. Right now, if someone hits you it's an "*oops*; my insurance will try to take care of you, have a good life.".

On the plus side, people tour on cycles every day. Visibility, planning, and proper attension to road manners will get you a long way. ...then again, you could step off the curb to get your mail and get mowed over by a drunk... so what's the real risk.

I'm not riding a trike, but look at the Rotator Comfort 3.