Or, seriously, accept that this fear is real, it exists no matter how much you wish it away, and is the prime factor in putting people off cycling, and you build separate, decent quality, well-thought-out cycling infrastructure to eliminate it.
Perhaps you should consider recreational cycling differently from non-recreational cycling.
The former can happen off-road (and exclusively does for some people - e.g. the ones that drive their MTBs or BMXs to ride somewhere) or on road but out of cities, and the perception of danger is different, as is the perception of fun. Even hardcore anti-cyclist motorists think this type of cycling is something they might participate in.
The Go Dutch approach, I think, is not about promoting recreational cycling, but promoting non-recreational cycling as an alternative to motor vehicle or tube traffic, and encouraging people to cycle in places and for purposes they would never have previously dreamed of. For example being able to safely commute at a gentle pace so as to arrive at work without getting all sweat. Or taking their children out on the bikes to another part of the city.
There's room for it all, in my opinion.
Or, seriously, accept that this fear is real, it exists no matter how much you wish it away, and is the prime factor in putting people off cycling, and you build separate, decent quality, well-thought-out cycling infrastructure to eliminate it.
Perhaps you should consider recreational cycling differently from non-recreational cycling.
The former can happen off-road (and exclusively does for some people - e.g. the ones that drive their MTBs or BMXs to ride somewhere) or on road but out of cities, and the perception of danger is different, as is the perception of fun. Even hardcore anti-cyclist motorists think this type of cycling is something they might participate in.
The Go Dutch approach, I think, is not about promoting recreational cycling, but promoting non-recreational cycling as an alternative to motor vehicle or tube traffic, and encouraging people to cycle in places and for purposes they would never have previously dreamed of. For example being able to safely commute at a gentle pace so as to arrive at work without getting all sweat. Or taking their children out on the bikes to another part of the city.
There's room for it all, in my opinion.