Originally Posted by
debade
Given all the input I have read so far, this is the post I would pay attention. Most people do not take the time to learn how to bike safely. Ride Smart is a good overview. Cycle Savvy would be another. Pay extra attention where accidents happen. How to take the lane. And other types of learning.
Also, there are many people, even those who bike, who will be willing to tell you about the horrors of riding on roads. There is no doubt that the Dutch approach is the one that should be used all over the world. Having said that, the concerns expressed by many people in N. America, is exaggerated and I expect start with fear and lack of training. That is not to say, they have not had accidents and maybe not their fault. Happens driving and walking too.
I have ridden in cities and rural areas in Europe on self contained tours and techniques are similar.
It's much safer in europe because the roads are much different and drivers much different. There's been more than one rider who has gone all across every continent then came to ride or walk across america and whoops now they are dead. I have never seen that for people who decided to ride across africa or europe.
The studies are pure nonsense because it would cost billions to follow people and see how many people really ride in what way and where they do it and what the results are. They have similar but smaller studies for diet and they spend literally hundreds of millions on completely one single study.