Cars are less safe in North America, since they're very often SUVs, trucks etc. Those have terrible results for the pedestrian in a collision.

A typical European car hitting a pedestrian at 30mph is 80% survivable.

(This road safety video is 14 years old now, and since then some places in the UK have managed to introduce 20mph limits, which are even better.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvja-PA5Egc