I'm sure there will be arguments among dedicated cyclists about some of the suggestions in this story by Chicago Tribune writer Julie Deardorff, "Staying safe while biking in traffic," but there are good suggestions as well.
Even I dispute her figures on helmet use and cycling safety: head injuries are responsible for three-quarters of cycling fatalities? I've tracked cycling fatalities for four years now, and it seems that helmets wouldn't have helped in a significant percentage of accidents. I think they limit injury in many circumstances, but when a cyclist is hit from behind by a transport truck at highway speeds, a helmet is no help.
The good suggestions? One was, Don't cycle drunk. Because I cycle commute at night, I see a lot of wobbly cyclists who thought they would avoid driving home from the bar drunk and take their bikes instead. It is true that in Ontario, you can't be charged with drunk driving on a bicycle. But you can be charged with drunk and disorderly, drunk in a public place, and so on. If you want to get hammered, take a cab home.
The advice on roadway visibility is good, especially the info about white T-shirts viewed against the sun (they go invisible).
And Deardorff has a blunt assessment of the motoring public: "Assume drivers are blind. Also, assume car drivers are drunk and multitasking..."
Best to assume that you have to be vigilant, and look out for yourself.