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Iowa | Some roads are busier than others, but I don't feel safe riding a bicycle on any of them. It is legal, but riding a bicycle on public roads is very much a willing decision to put your safety in the hands of others. I'm more of a believer in personal responsibility.
Being out for a run is different. Runners (at least here) run on the other side of the road, against the traffic. They can see the oncoming traffic coming and can easily move far off onto the shoulder of the road or the ditch if necessary. Traffic can stay in their own lanes and maintain their speed. The only time a runner is exposed to being hit from behind is when a vehicle going the same direction is passing another vehicle, but the runner can usually hear the vehicles approaching from the rear if there is not much other traffic on the road. There is always some risk of getting hurt or killed, but the runners are in much more control of their safety than the bicyclists. Even so, some roads just have too much traffic and/or not enough shoulder.
It's a major difference I've noticed between being in the country and being in the city. In the country, pedestrians tend to take responsibility for their own safety. They are not so likely to walk into the path or moving vehicles. In the city, pedestrians will often walk into the path of moving vehicles without even bothering to see if the vehicle is going to stop for them. It's a whole different attitude that transcends other subjects as well.
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The countries newest recreational area...county highways
