Same in the Netherlands. Rich, poor, young, old, everybody rides bikes as a normal way to get places. Not sure what chip the GP has on their shoulder, but it definitely doesn't match with my experience.
Most places are perfectly safe. I for example, have 100 miles of safe trails and rural roads to ride on, here in the American Midwest. But most people live in dense urban environments.
For instance, I can ride 50 miles from my urban center (for what its worth) to the next one north, and be in countryside the whole time.