Only ~30% of Americans own guns [1]. Almost all Americans use cars. And most people do not consider cars to be safe. The regulation and training to receive a drivers license is also much more extensive than buying a gun.
Here, however, guns have been severely restricted for several years, to the point where I believe it has been counter productive. We did see a decrease in accidental gun deaths, but violent crime and murder rates have increased significantly. Unfortunately, from my observation, the potential threat of deadly force is still a necessary deterrent sometimes.