Originally Posted by
spinconn
I tend to think these stats which are based on mileage are less meaningful than if they were based on time. It seems to me the more hours you are exposed to risk gives a greater assessment than the number of miles. I tried to google bike fatalities based on hours as compared to other forms of travel and didn't get much information, so I don't know, but I have a hunch that a per hour comparison might turn out more favorable for bikes.
That makes a little more sense but it still doesn't differentiate between the roads that are heavily travelled with cars and quiet streets or bike trails that many forum members here recommend.
One can stand at a bike trail all day and all night and nothing traffic related will happen to him. But doing the same thing on a busy street, eventually some car is going to jump the curb and hit you. And that's not uncommon.
I still contend that it's the number of cars you encounter during a ride that determines its safety.
If I make a blanket statement that bike trails and quiet streets with no cars are safer than riding on busy urban arterial roads, I suppose a lot of people would agree. But I won't be at all surprised if 50% of people will still disagree.