Recumbents?

[Tayside]

All being said,would I ride one now?
Probably not
Back then there were less distractions for drivers, so they probably were looking ahead, rather than at a phone or control screen.
Used to see a few recumbents on some of the big Audax runs, but none (up here) in the last few years.
I went to a few HPV days at the old Eastway circuit, some fantastic machines would turn up

 

[bikeworkshop]

Stats imply that the roads are safer than 10 or 20 years ago

But quite a lot of vulnerable users have been driven off the roads - that might include recumbents.

Trouble is, they are best on long gentle gradients, where the roads are straighter and faster and the risks to cyclists are greatest.