Today it is widely recognised that increasing car use is bad for society.
Cycling is seen as environmentally more attractive, and part of the solution to transport problems.
Government transport plans have targets for more people to cycle. Presently there's no hope of them being met because cycling is widely perceived as being 'dangerous'. Policies to promote cycle use are nearly all based on reducing danger to get more people to cycle. Hence the widespread emphasis on segregated cycle facilities and personal safety gear. However, if you keep telling people that special arrangements are necessary to cycle in safety, they are bound to construe that cycling is inherently an unsafe activity and avoid it.