I live in and commute across an urban environment, albeit one of the saner ones and away from the worst traffic corridors. Three years ago (or thereabouts) I got knocked off my bike by a car, a relatively low-grade accident compared to what I tooo often hear about. Since that time I have probably ridden a minimum of 10,000 miles just in commuting. Conservatively estimating, I have come across at least a couple hundred thousand cars... and not one of them has run into me. Yes, there are occasions of rudeness and close calls, including one hot spot where I'm almost certain to get cut off. And I like many other eye with suspicion everyone talking on their phone. And however rare the accidents are, they are often severe and we rightly remember them.
My point: society at large might not deserve to be railed at for being a threat to bikes. Society at large, at least where I live, might be pretty good at driving around bikes. The real dangers are rare and random... which makes them pretty hard to contain.