What is actually risky?

When I talk to people about going on Discovery trips, the topic of safety and risk always comes up as people tend to have more fears about new (unknown) risks than old (known) risks... Consider the different perception of current danger from SARS and Avian Flu or Dengue Fever vs West Nile Virus... these are all diseases which at various times in recent history have been cited in our North American news as fearful and dangerous, but looking at the statistics, very few people in N. America actually suffered from any of these. What are the things people fear when traveling overseas; terrorism, war, flying, travelers diarrhea, AIDS, malaria, etc... Consider how often you travel and which modes of travel cause you to request prayer for safety and which ones are actually most dangerous...
Interesting isn't it? Flying is actually much safer but lots of people have more fear of it than driving in their neighborhood.
I didn't try to prove this theory of mine, but it happened nonetheless. Just one week after returning to California from Africa I was returning home from the office on my bicycle and hit a pot-hole while going fast around a curve and went crashing into the asphalt; shoulder first! What I suffered was a couple bruises, a couple scrapes and sore muscles AND a very painful shoulder... x-rays confimed that there are no broken bones or dislocations... so all will mend within a couple weeks... but until then, I am not riding the bike, just walking;-)