You’re missing the bigger picture. Over 2 million a year requiring a hospital visit. Modern cars are safer than ever before (for the passengers), so they don’t die. But they do get lacerated, break bones, rip muscles.

Each fatality affects a major multiple of people. Family, friends, workmates, neighbours. 40k may well mean a million or more whose lives are impacted.

Instead of citing the raw number, which is hard for ppl to visualize, I like to give it to them in multiples of Southwest Airlines. Right now the rate stands at around 5 Southwest Airlines flights falling out of the sky every week.

40k is indeed in the same range as opioid fatalities 😵‍💫