I want to ride on beautiful rural roads.... but cars scare me.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Wear screaming yellow clothes, get a mirror and USE it. Plus all the other very good suggestions that have already been made!

Keep in mind that "safe" routes around town have many more traffic intersections and driveways....those places are where LOTS of bike/car accidents happen. So maybe it's partly a perception thing that makes you think that shoulderless rural roads are "more" dangerous. I tend to think it's just because you are USED TO riding certain types of routes and thus you feel they are "safer". Your nervousness will get less as you ride those country roads, believe me.

By the way- where do I feel the absolute SAFEST riding?- on the sides of high speed highways with lots of traffic zooming past. Why?? Because there are no intersections, no hidden driveways, no blind curves, cars all going straight, fairly wide shoulders...and the cars can all see me from a million miles away. People always ask me "Don't you get scared riding on those fast highways?"...funny.