The difference, I think, is that we all live and breath cycling. It is who we are, as much as it is what we do. However, there are lots of people out there who just like to ride their bikes sometimes. A lot of them (family members of mine and friends included) don't really understand the risks involved. When something happens, and they are forced to come to terms with those risks, they are not invested enough in the sport to be willing to do that, so they give up riding and do something safer instead.

That being said, I have been lucky enough to have only had one very minor crash despite the fact that I race (and have seen countless friends go down, often in dramatic fashion). Despite my person good fortune (yes, I am aware that I could be jinxing myself right now), every time I get on my bike, I am aware of the risk I am taking, and while I don't let it get to my head, I do make decisions about what rides to do based on how much risk I am willing to assume ("A" race coming up, and I'll avoid the big aggressive crash-prone group rides). Even now, with (indoor) winter training about to start, I find myself extra cautious about riding outside for fear of crashing out on ice and missing an important training block. So the pros/cons are constantly being weighed, but I still ride!!!

I guess my point is that for people who aren't as aware of the risks, are more surprised when a crash/injury happens and so the shock factor is much greater.