How to make the roads safer?

I was already aware the driver had not seen me so had started to slow down already,

Nail, head, hammer!

You'll often hear sportsmen/women from all kinds of disciplines say that their best performances come from times when they really don't feel like they're trying. In fact they're just fully absorbed by what they are doing. Being aware, attentive to your environment, should be relaxing - if you feel stressed, you're not concentrating hard enough!

I wouldn't want to bureaucratise cycling. There aren't many obligations as a cyclist, and it really should stay that way, but you have an obligation to look after yourself. And this has the handy side effect of making cycling even more pleasurable.