People seek agency and don't consider traffic deaths to be the same as random assaults. It's for the same reason most people think they'd do well in a fight. They value their agency and assume they would be able to prevent it.

Pedestrians outside of cars don't have agency to prevent injury to themselves from cars.

Situational awareness shouldn't be discounted.

I was hit by a car once, due to the driver's lack of situational awareness.

I was turning from a major road into a minor road, a car was stopped at the exit to that minor road, but they failed to look in my direction, and pulled out into me.

My bike was a write-off, fortunately I was uninjured — they had started from stationary, so probably less than 10 mph when they hit me, and I always wear a helmet.

My kid was bumped recently, by a similarly unobservant driver. Fortunately unharmed. I don't think the solution is reducing traffic density in my town, however, through taxation. Rather, encouraging accountability and discouraging distraction.

Given the disparity of outcomes, I've always been vigilant of misbehaving drivers. This served me well as a bicycle messenger. Yes, drivers are responsible for violations of the official laws, but ultimately as cyclists we should seek to have maximum awareness. Otherwise you are surrendering agency to people who text while driving.

Are you implying everyone who gets in a traffic accident has full agency over the situation? Because that is laughably far from reality. It is infinitely easier to consciously avoid danger on the subway than in a car.

I have some agency. I can drive faster or slower, more or less aggressively, choose a vehicle based on safety, not drive in bad weather or when the bars let out, drive more or less frequently.

I can't control if some batshit crazy tries to set me on fire, aside from riding the subway less.

I do ride the subway, BTW. But I definitely do not habitually walk as close to the platform edge as I used to given how public safety has slide the last handful of years. I blame, of course, de Blasio.

You have way more control over batshit crazies than riding the subway less. You can change the subway car, fight, ask for help, engage the police. And let’s face it - you never gonna be this person who got burnt.

> Are you implying everyone who gets in a traffic accident has full agency over the situation? Because that is laughably far from reality. It is infinitely easier to consciously avoid danger on the subway than in a car.

I would note that people can falsely believe things about how much agency they really have, and that this seems to be the case with cars vs. public transit.

Well, hell, let's think about everyone who choked to death in New York. Krazy Kat should levy a masticulation tax below 60th street. It'll be easier to get a table! Think of all the environmental benefits of not eating fancy foods!

>The peer who called out agency makes the right point. I choose to drive and I accept the baseline danger of driving.

Pedestrians get killed by car crashes all the time, and they never accepted that baseline danger of driving.

Apologies. I revised my comment after you replied. I did not notice the reply.