Hey there Tricky
Scarey story but glad everything has turned out ok...
Absolutely trust to your instincts and ride togogether where you both feel safe
We all try and stay clear of town/cities for this reason... cars are too untrustworthy... I have nearly clipped a couple of cyclists even though I am a driver and KNOW and DO watch out for them
I always say to my sons that they must assume they are invisible and always think for the drivers, dont ever believe that drivers will include bikes in their thoughts and never assume you can/will or have been seen
Thinking of you both