I've tried that one, too, and as long as the person/people I'm talking to are ignorant of the statistics, it can almost work (temporarily). The fact is that motorcyclists are 20 to 30 times more likely to be killed than people in cars, per mile driven. This NHTSA publication has some good, if now somewhat dated, info:
NHTSA publication

My spouse has given me plenty of heat, and especially now that I commute in a major metropolitan area each day. I try to recognize that I'm not the only person in the world, nor the only person whose needs matter, in my replies to her. I still ride, still commute, and still get occasional oblique comments.