Just as a morbid comparison, and as a response to the USA Today article, I looked up motorcycle deaths and automobile car deaths per year. The last statistic for motorcycle was 2011 that I found 4612 which has almost doubled in the last 20 years, and peaked a few years ago. Auto death are on the decline but are reported as 32719 for 2013. Boating was listed as 610 in 2014. AOPA lists 453 deaths for 2010, with the general trend of GA getting much safer over time.
I know these are not apples to apples arguments, because of the number of pilots vs drivers vs riders, and how many hours are spent in each type of vehicle. I am also fully aware flying is about the same level as motorcycles on the danger scale. But what it does show is the smallest group as far as total fatalities goes is aviation, but we are by far the largest group as far as the press is concerned. I also think that pilots as a whole have the greatest ability to improve statistics over the other groups however.