I am not trying to minimize the risk of cycling, both on and off road, but, the reality is that no matter what one is doing, whether doing it 100% right or not, there is risk of being badly injured or killed. We can only control what is in our control, and I have come to believe that is not a whole lot. It's dangerous getting out of bed in the morning. I love riding bikes, particularly road cycling. I accept the risk because of that. Not doing it is not a good option for me. I do what I can to minimize the risk. What's worse, getting killed doing something you love to do, or getting killed doing something you dislike doing? I guess it really does not matter, but I think given an option, I prefer going out with a smile on my face. At the end of a ride, cycling ALWAYS makes me smile.