Flying at crosswinds near or at the demonstrated value is not without risk. Most pilots will not do this on a weekly basis and training simulators are not very good in representing the effects of gusty winds on the airframe. Furthermore the way the certification works makes you wonder how realistic demonstrated values are to the airline pilot. I have studied this topic for many years now and analysed numerous accident/incidents related to crosswind. The gustiness of the wind played a very important role in the vast majority of these cases. There has been little progress in solving some of the important issues.
Some recommended reading material:
Crosswind Certification - How does it affect you?
http://www.nlr.nl/id~5114/lang~en.pdf
and
Safety aspects of aircraft operations in crosswind
http://www.nlr-atsi.com/downloads/NLR-TP-2001-217.pdf