40,000 do not die annually. That was just for 2017.
It varies, & about half are due to drunk drivers and/or pedestrians.
I'm not sure how you're arriving at your second point, unless pedestrians are made of diamond and cause the car to crumple upon hitting them. Car vs ped collisions are obviously weighted in the favor of the car (no pun intended).
OK, to show how absurd Bruce's point actually is, here's a few more pieces of information.
1. There are about 40,000 deaths on the highway every year. That's a combination of all motorists, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists who get killed.
2. The number has been relatively stubborn as a raw number since 1970.
3. The US population has increased from 200 million in 1970 to 330 million currently. Thus, that 40,000 number is much lower per capita today than it was then. 0.02% of the population in 1970 to 0.012% of the population currently. If the dangers that Bruce is focusing on are so bad, then that number should be about 0.02% today, or about 66,000 people annually. Obviously, 26,000 people more are not dying on our roads in any way, shape, or form, thus total deaths per capita have fallen.
4. Crashes of all types that involve alcohol range from about 20% (Utah) to about 50% (several states). These crashes involve not just drivers under the influence, but bicyclists and pedestrians too. For example, a drunk pedestrian running out onto a freeway and getting killed is an alcohol-related crash, even though none of the drivers were drunk.
5. Crashes per million and billion vehicle miles traveled (and possibly walked and bicycled) have also undergone a dramatic reduction between 1970 and 2019.
6. As for most pedestrian and bicyclist deaths, these occur during the overnight hours. Speaking from a driving perspective on this, it's stunning how many choose to ride without proper lights and reflectors, and how many choose to walk in the street when there's a perfectly good sidewalk alongside. It's also stunning how many that choose to do these things wear dark, non-reflective clothing.
Thus, Bruce's points are fairly moot.