Unless we fix the mandatory car ownership prevalent in most of North America, it really should be treated as almost a right. How else are people going to realistically safely get where the need to go?
Just think for a moment about what you just said: “[car ownership] should be treated almost as a right”. I.e. it shouldn’t really matter how terrible of a driver you are, you should pretty much guarantee that you will be allowed to drive.
Well, that is how it already works today, and look at how safe the roads are. The lack of safety is a consequence of allowing shitty drivers to stay on the road.
Maybe we should do the opposite: have more stringent licensing requirements for heavier vehicles. Maybe if only good drivers were allowed to operate heavy machinery like pickup trucks and SUVs then the roads would be safer for everyone as the worst drivers would have to use lightweight vehicles, which are less deadly to others.
And if we took away people’s cars along with their driving license when they drive dangerously, it would be even better.