> riding a bike would be a higher risk than driving because of lack of adequate road shoulders for much of the route between my workplace and home. Is this an

> riding a bike would be a higher risk than driving because of lack of adequate road shoulders for much of the route between my workplace and home. Is this an empirical statement or based on the same gut feeling that makes people feel safe in a car? I'm asking because when you actually run the numbers, in most cases I've been involved in, you get to be very surprised to see just how safe cycling really is. I don't know what the culture and road type is around your neck of the woods, but I would prefer a road without a proper shoulder most of the time -- simply because the existence of the shoulder provides very little actual safety, but it does give a sense of safety that makes drivers behave more dangerously near cyclists. Not to mention lower quality road surface, collected debris, etc.