The reason it is hard to get people to care is the obvious intent difference. People don't tend to get behind the wheel with the conscious intent of killing people, even if they make poor decisions that lead to that. Drivers killing people is much more relatable to the average person, so it's hard to get the average person to have a rational conversation about it.
The situation is the same with drunk driving. Most people can relate to just wanting to get home after having a couple drinks. There was little enforcement of existing laws. Yet the USA was able to turn things around, the culture has changed, fatalities have been slowly dropping, and even police chiefs can no longer talk their way out of going to jail when caught.
