"Bruce Davis" wrote
[stability]

As others have pointed out, a lighter touch on the
handlebars may improve sense of stability.

My question relates to whether you think that recumbents are
any more prone to spills than a regular bike is.

Perhaps. The skills needed to avoid falls may be
different on a given recumbent than on others. Three
wheels may help... %^)

Lots of falls in TdF, though, and no recumbents
there...

1. Are recumbents generally less stable than regular bikes
(more prone to crashes), or does it just take more
experience to get the "hang of it"?

Stability, per se, may not be the issue. The accidents
you describe seem to have more to do with traction loss.

Lower center of gravity may mean less time to react.
Heel strike can be a problem on some designs.
Front/back weigh distribution also may contribute...

2. Are there precautions that must be taken with
recumbents so that a.) one does not take a spill;

Surface awareness. In more than 9,000 miles of
recumbent riding, I haven't sustained any major
injuries, but have had significant bruises and road
rash on three occasions . Surface traction loss
contributed all three of these and most of the
several other minor falls. I've gone down on both
roads and on sand/gravel trails.

In the last fall on my Tour Easy, I had to take
evasive action (braking) on a wet street when a
car made an illegal turn in front of me. My
speed and line where just fine until I hit the
brakes.

Now, I watch for surface changes and am more
conservative in cornering. I watch even more
for drivers doing stupid things particularly when
the road is wet.

and b.) if one does take a spill, is there a certain
way to fall to lessen the chance of serious injury?

In the two major falls on my Tour Easy, my feet stayed
on the pedals: Power Grips the first time, clipless, the
second. My hands stayed on the handlebars. In both
cases I ended up with road rash on my hip and in the
first case, on my shoulder as well.

My most recent minor fall, a week ago, was the first
on my Volae. IT was most certainly pilot error,
misjudging a turn. But the only bruise (minor) from
that fall was my ego. I did fall in an awkward
position with the bike on top of me and had to
struggle to get up.

I keep riding and I expect to fall again. I went down
once when I put my foot down, only to find small
gravel on pavement can function almost like ball
bearings. Not too many observers, luckily.

Jon Meinecke