That's an interesting statistic; would you mind sharing the source with me? I'm also curious how it compares with the flu and other viruses currently going around. In my area, adenovirus warrants far more concern right now, as it hits young children the hardest and can easily result in an overnight or multi-night stay at the hospital. Yet we all continue to let our kids go to school and daycare, and society continues to function.

The current COVID death rate sits at 1.3%, which is very comparable to the flu. As someone who's had his ass kicked by the flu previously, I take precautions such as getting my flu shot, not licking door handles, etc. But I can't say I let my concern about the flu weigh on me very heavily. I feel sorry for people who become consumed with such fear.

A quick search of Google regarding car accidents yielded data from the CDC... https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db410.htm. According to their data, in 2017-18, car accidents resulted in a hospitalization rate of 5.3 hospital visits per 1000 persons, so just over half of one percent. That's a pretty low bar for you to cite. Also, seatbelt wearing is pretty much the norm today, not that everyone does it, but it's not much of a burden to pull your seat belt over and click it. Takes all of 3 seconds. I'm not sure how that compares to someone living in fear of COVID several variants down the line, with a 1.3% overall death rate (since early 2020). I suspect that the death rate is appreciably lower than that if you just looked at the last 12 months.