It's because we feel we can control the circumstances of the car crash. We cannot feel in control of airliners. We're hapless baggage.
True, but that doesn't disprove the fact that most people are a party to the accident they are in, regardless of who was at fault.
For example, if someone is driving with an insecure load, I give them a very, very wide berth. There's a word for it - defensive driving.