Those numbers don't include secondary diseases like obesity, heart disease, cancer (and other pollution related effects), etc. You can also argue based on the comorbidity data that automobile use has contributed to the death rate from the virus. The virus might kill people quickly, but cars kill people slowly (and quickly). People are only afraid of the unlikely cause of deaths, but tend to ignore the likely causes.

Got me curious. Looks more like ~1,000/yr from car accidents: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/DecadeGlanceFatals_38... (Still less than I would have guessed.)

Also interesting: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/michigan/michigan....

Curious to see how all-cause numbers will be affected.

(data still supports your point - thanks for perspective.)

Right, but a pandemic like this may last 1 or 2 years. Driving a car goes on for a lifetime, and for most demographics highway driving is the single most dangerous activity they ever engage in.

Strictly speaking there is a cure (ban cars), but it's not something that's likely to ever happen because of the cultural importance of automobiles.