I drive a motorcycle; and yes, it is a fast one.  I have been driving motorcycles for over 20 years.  People often ask me if I feel unsafe on it, or why I take such excessive risk.  My answer is always the same- I feel much safer commuting to work on my motorcycle than I do my bicycle (I often alternate between the two).  Why you may ask?  On my motorcycle I am more visible, I try to stay aware of my what is around me 360 degrees at all times, and I can react quickly to the changing environment.  On my bike I feel like I am just waiting for some inattentive driver to come up from behind me and take me out.  I am not riding in traffic so much as impeding it.

When I began driving a motorcycle many years ago a friend of mine suggested I review the Hurt report.  Ironically is was a study done in the early 80's by Professor Harry Hurt, compiling data on over 900 accidents and 3600 police reports.  In reading the 50 point summary I realized there were substantial ways in which to statistically reduce my accident risk, some of them so very elementary if not common sense such as wearing a helmet and proper riding gear.  There are absolutely no guarantees that I will not one day be involved in an accident, perhaps a serious one, but in properly assessing and addressing the major risk factors I can substantially reduce my chances of it.  

I find in general that cyclists do a very poor job of assessing their risk and often pay the price for it.  The first thing a cyclists should understand is that there IS substantial risk involved with cycling.  68% of cycling fatalities occur in urban areas, 22% occur between 6 and 8:59pm, and 29% are hit by a car according to a NHTSA report.  Here in Atlanta where I live most weekday group rides occur in heavy traffic between these hours.  At dusk cyclists are less visible and you can also surmise that at the end of the day drivers are tired, less attentive, and are more likely to have consumed alcohol.  As a cyclists you have the make a personal decision and weigh the higher risk of cycling in these conditions against the reward.  Do not conclude that riding in a group is "safe."  It may be slightly safer due to the increased visibility of the group, but there is also the increased hazard of bike on bike collision, falling, and/or rider error which accounts for another 37% of bicycle accidents.  I personally believe that most cyclists are unaware just how much danger they are in, and are often surprised when an accident does occur.  And in my experience it is rare to encounter a cyclist (in my area) that has ridden consistently for over 10 years without incurring an accident that requires medical treatment (myself included).

When riding my motorcycle I have my head on a swivel and I try to stay aware of all the vehicles around me.  I never ride when I am over-tired, have consumed alcohol, and avoid riding in the dark or in bad weather.  I also maintain a very respectful distance from vehicles, always assuming enough room to brake in an emergency.  Riding my motorcycle requires a heightened state of awareness when compared to driving my car, and I try to adopt a similar sense when commuting on my bicycle.  Yet I often observe cyclists riding in close proximity, side by side, chatting it up in dense traffic blissfully unaware of the danger around them.  Just being attentive, riding single file, and leaving enough room to brake in an emergency greatly reduces your risk.  Visibility substantially reduces the risk of a motorcycle crash according to the hurt report, and motorcycles are much more visible (and loud) compared to a bicycle that is in the peripheral vision or blind spot.  Yet even with the invent of highly visible, cheap LED bike lights I see (or don't see) the majority of cyclists still without them.  These should be required for organized rides in my opinion.  

More than half of motorcycle accidents involve riders with less than 5 months experience and an even greater preponderance are self taught with little skill in cornering, braking, and avoidance.  Cycling as a recreational activity continues to grow yet most cyclists do not know the basics of bike handling and safety.  For instance, when I ask which brake to apply more force to- front, rear, or both evenly, most cyclists reply "rear."  In fact slightly more force should be applied to the front while moving the center of gravity/weight towards the rear of the bike.  Learning and practicing this skill set alone can help you avoid a collision and stop shorter.  Being able to look over the left shoulder while keeping the bike on a straight trajectory, un-clipping from the pedals without falling over, and basic maintenance (which causes a small number of crashes) are all proficiencies a cyclist should possess before attempting a group ride, or even solo ride in traffic.  It is important to note that the people you ride with factor into your own safety as well.   

The Hurt report was ground breaking because it was the first large scale compilation of motorcycle accident and fatality data.  I could not find any similar report for bicycling but there are a lot of parallels between motorcycle safety and bicycle safety as they are both higher risk transportation.  With a rise in cycling fatalities and also a rise in cyclists on the road, I think it is important for each cyclists to not only to accept the risk involved, but also to understand how to diminish it.  Yes, you have a right to be on the road, even two abreast.  Yes there is tension, sometimes even rage between motor vehicles and cyclists.  Yes drivers are less attentive and often do not consider cyclists safety.  But understanding these things does not make you any safer. What WILL make you safer is understanding the specific risk factors of cycling- and reducing them.