The elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about - because they get attacked for it- is that many of the cyclist deaths involving HGVs were the fault of the cyclist, e.g. http://road.cc/content/news/106227-coroner-dr-katharine-gile...
Eilidh Cairns death, the driver had incorrectly adjusted mirrors, failed an eye test, overtook the cyclist in a road not wide enough to do so [1]
Prominent artist death, the junction is badly designed and was on a blacklist but funds not allocated, the junction forced HGV drivers to watch the wrong side of their vehicle, leaving them blind to cyclists... in this case the truck drove over the cyclist without even seeing her [2]
Another junction in which 2 (two) cyclists died in a month due to the confusing design and narrow spaces [3]
Cyclist killed after driver is on the phone [4]
HGV Driver jailed for killing a cyclist after previously being banned from driving 5 times [5]
This was the first page of hits for "HGV cyclist death" that I found.
And there's an elephant somewhere? It's far more likely to be junction design, unenforced laws on driver behaviour, and a very very low standard applied by HGV contractors for their drivers.
[1] http://www.roadjustice.org.uk/case-study/driver-lorry-which-...
[2] http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/woman-cyclist-dies-aft...
[3] http://road.cc/content/news/133336-second-serious-cyclist-cr...
[4] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32999770
[5] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3082792/Lawless-self...
Edit: I fell for the new troll account. I apologise to HN, but I bit before I realised it was a troll account and the overwhelming evidence is the opposite of what was claimed.
Just because I don't agree with the line that all cyclists are angels and drivers should jump out of their way doesn't make me a troll and I set up a throw-away account because I don't much fancy getting targeted by an online lynch-mob.
But yes, everyone needs to be careful. However, the important distinction is that a careless cyclist is a danger primarily to themselves, while a careless motor vehicle operator is a danger to others on the road more than to themselves.
What do you do, cycle on a road where cars drive insanely fast and pay absolutely no attention to you, cycle on the busy sidewalk where you slalom between elders and kids that have absolutely no idea you're coming behind them, or cycle on the tramway tracks? The safest option for you and others is the most illegal one, and the most dangerous option is the one you're enforced to use.