There's a 200-yard stretch where I take the sidewalk when there aren't people on it (almost all the time) and I take a right turn to get back into traffic. Aside from that, oh my, roads are better and safer here even if driver's sometimes so sincerely believe I should be on the sidewalk.
Straight wide roads in non-rush hour are, IMO, better than curvy 2-laners any day... but indeed, when the traffic's going 60+ it means *if* anything happens (that being statistically less likely) it's far more likely to be fatal ... which tends to be what sits on the front of our minds. I honestly don't know if I would have the ovaries to do it