Awareness, the varia alerts both on my headunit and in my earbuds if I’m wearing them and it’s almost always before I can hear the car approaching. I know when something is approaching me from behind and I know if it is at a higher relative speed. I also know when there are multiple cars behind me which is probably the biggest difference.
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2nd on life insurance!
That and being very selective about the routes I ride on. I live in the city so while there are a huge number of dangerous options for riding, there are also lots of options for quiet, or at least low traffic low car speed routes. I do most of my riding on 1-6 mile loops with few cars and the ones I do see are not going much faster than I am (a car going 30 can hurt you but is unlikely to kill you). Pick good routes and don’t be afraid to ride in circles and you can make the risk of death or serious injury very low.
One more thing - I’m not sure exactly how much my Varia radar reduces my risk of injury or death but it sure does make me feel much much safer. Everyone who rides should get one.
This is my issue as well, with most activities such as cycling, golf. It takes me away for multiple hours usually during “prime time”. Balance as best as possible.
As far as danger, these days I try to ride where there are paved shoulders, bike lanes or paths and minimize the sharing the road when on asphalt. Tending towards more secondary roads and gravel rides. No matter where, I just assume everyone is out to get me and ride defensively. Does it take away from the “purity” or “flow” of a ride and do I give up the right of way, yeah I do, lots of times, but I am acutely aware that no matter what end of the principles I’m on, I will end up the loser in even the smallest of incidents.
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My kids are older (both in college) and when I’ve got them home I can do a solid three hour outdoor ride and come home and cook a big breakfast and have it ready by the time they get up 
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This really depends on your loved ones I think. If they are cool, you are cool. While I was living with my parents, my mother was getting anxiety during my outside training. This affected me by the time and at the end I was anxious too.
Then I started living apart from parents and I have no more safety concerns on road, at least don’t getting fear beforehand.
And lets you keep your eyes more forward 
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How do you get the Varia to pass the alerts on to your earphones? That’s something I’ve wanted to do as long as I can remember!
There is a Varia app and it connects to the radar via bluetooth, the radar can be connected to your phone and bike computer simultaneously.
You might need to change settings on the app related to power control so that it will continue to work when not in the foreground.
This is the setting on my Samsung phone:
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That looks great, but the Varia app says it doesn’t support the RTL510, unfortunately 
Is there another way that could work?
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Route planning is very important - as many others have said. But I relate to this a lot. The worry that my riding inflicts on my wife and kids can sometimes get to me. But… once again. Route planning can mitigate a lot of this. Most cycling fatalities I read about were when someone was riding busy roads during a busy part of the day. You can’t eliminate all probability of getting hit, but you can certainly minimize it.
For example, if every car that passes you has a 0.1% chance of hitting you (I’m making this up), you ride during a time of day when you’ll be passed by 30 cars. Then the probability of getting hit is:
1 - (1 - 0.001) ^ 30 = 0.0296 = 3%
BUT, if you ride during a time of day when you get passed by 200 cars and all other factors are the same, the probability of getting hit changes to:
1 - (1 - 0.001) ^ 200 = 0.181 = 18.1%
This is just a thought experiment and by no means should actually be used. But it just showcases how risk can be dramatically affected by the environment you place yourself in when you ride.
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MTB, Gravel, closed communities roads
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agree with @oldandfast - it’ really about risk mitigation. Ride more off-road (gravel & MTB), pick good routes when on road or gravel, factor in plenty of good structured riding on the trainer . . . and take the advice on TR that most cyclists are probably better off low volume (3-4 days/week with some gym) vs higher volumes @ 5-6 days (for many, not all).
If you do all of those types of applications to your your training, one’s actual “road time” will be lower and therefore the already low probability of something life altering has now been lowered that much more.
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REALLY?!
I MTB above all and think its way more dangerous than road riding!
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People have different skill sets and risk tolerances of course…but I bought a mountain bike 2 years ago and crashed on one ride, and broke my finger on another. I’m glad REI has a good return policy on bikes 
The bike itself was unscathed.
At least if I crashed or got hurt on the quiet back roads around me, I can call for a ride home.
For folks who ride MTB…do you ride with groups or at least reasonably well-travelled trails? The idea of getting hurt, alone in the woods scares the 
out of me.
95% of the time its with at least one other person and the trails are relatively well travelled. Depending on time of year/weather etc.
If I’m riding alone I maybe take it a little easier and avoid the bigger features.
MTB I’ve broken my tibia up near the knee, both collarbones, dislocated a finger, ribs a few times, and numerous other crashes. Road is way safer. 
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Risk mitigation combined with odds combined with living my life.
First, I don’t ride outside every day. I generally stick to the weekends and mostly just one day on the road and one day on a trail, so still high volume, but fewer opportunities for an accident.
Second, I generally ride with a group. I pick my routes without the group very carefully. I pick groups that are like-minded in terms of safety and organization and are following routes I’m comfortable with
Third, Varia radar investment to help me be more aware along with safer “lane-taking” practices, bike lights, visible clothing etc.
Last I’ll say I rationalize the odds and choose to pursue what I like. An accident can happen in any number of ways. Driving a car can be life threatening as well.
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Originally - life insurance. Now - divorce.
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Wow this one hits home. Keep in mind, everything I’m saying here is from the perspective of someone who was intentionally rear ended by a lunatic in a truck at full throttle. It’s possible I’m only still here because my bike got caught under the tire in the guys wheel well.
You can’t worry about the danger involved everyday life. Some things are inherently risky and require a different risk assessment…riding a motorcycle, extreme sports. Riding a bicycle through the neighborhood is not one of those things (or at least shouldnt be). The risk associated with it falls into the category of things where reducing the risk is not worth the cost associated to do so.
Not to make this political, but this IMO is akin to people who need to arm themselves to go buy a gallon of milk…you just cant live your life so fearful of your surroundings. If the fear is justified…then honestly the surroundings are the issue and need to be changed, not the behavior.
The tougher question in my mind is how to justify the TIME involved in cycling with young kids at home.
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I think the risk of minor injury is higher with MTB, but the risk of life altering major injury is lower. I’ve fallen many times on a MTB and never had more than some superficial cuts and scrapes.
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