A better way to frame it is do we want to optimize everything for automobile travel speed and convenience? That's what the US has done for the last 100 years, and the result is poor public transit, unwalkable neighborhoods, urban cycling as extreme sport, and an epidemic of road rage.
One I heard long ago on a motorcycle forum is: get rid of seat belts, mount the driver in a plexiglass bubble in front of the front bumper, and put a bloody great spike in the middle of the steering wheel.
I wonder why that idea hasn't caught on?
I don't follow. Driving on a snowy mountain road is still incredibly dangerous though, even after I've adapted my behavior.
In the extreme case where a road appears life-threatening, a driver with that knowledge chooses not to drive.
The most dangerous conditions occur if the road appears safe but has unforeseen or transient hazards.