About 40,000 people die a year on the roads.
Granted it’s not a fair comparison as you would have to compare amount of participants to miles driven to death count to be fair.
But as a smart man once said - “One death is a tragedy, a million dead is a statistic”.
Racing could be death free for 20 years straight, but as soon as one main dies news will still sensationalize it, more rules will be made and the sport will have to defend itself.