I’m saying something that other people here said. It may not make sense to you, and perhaps it is irrational, but:
I spend more time being afraid of cyclists than I do being afraid of cars.
The intensity of fear may not be as high, but the frequency is very high. If I see a car, it’s a car. If I see a cyclist zooming toward me, I am looking for what I can do if and when they do something crazy.
Oh, I'm not suggesting you're wrong to be! I also totally mean my dog example. I think you'd be crazy not to keep a small part of yourself constantly aware of every strange dog you meet. What I am suggesting is that societal effort would be wrong to be. Cars are killing people in ways bikes just aren't.
I spend more time being afraid of cyclists than I do being afraid of cars.
The intensity of fear may not be as high, but the frequency is very high. If I see a car, it’s a car. If I see a cyclist zooming toward me, I am looking for what I can do if and when they do something crazy.