I love getting around without a car. Public transport is great around europe. Still the 10.000 km trip I went on last year hit so many places public tranport don't. Also getting to great places like forests or parks will require a form of automotion in the usa. About the risk, I feel that it is part of the journey to risk it all. The car I drive is light because it has no safety features like modern cars. This is not inherently a bad thing for safety breeds complacency. I have been close to catastrophe multiple times during the road trip, still I wouldn't have had the experiences I did if it was just staying home.