It would seem that this commercial is fear-mongering after all, according to wikipedia at least. But two points about that. First off, the wikipedia definition continues (in the next sentence) to state "The feared object or subject is sometimes exaggerated..." Other sources seem to indicate that exaggeration is the norm, not the exception. Princeton WordNet defines scaremonger as "a person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble". Merriam Webster defines scaremongering as "one inclined to raise or excite alarms especially needlessly". It seems we're both correct, depending on the degree of exaggeration involved. So I'll agree that this commercial is fear-mongering.

However, the other thing to consider is whether or not it's responsible to use fear as a way of pushing an agenda (assuming we agree that the subject is in fact something to be feared, and not an exaggeration). Sometimes we are supposed to fear things, otherwise we would have died out as a species long ago. The less you understand about a particular danger, the more likely you are to learn the hard way. It's my argument that people in general do not understand the dangers involved in driving.

I know it's an anecdote, but personally, I have found myself driving super-paranoid and defensively after a near accident. I bet this happens to most people. I think it's in that moment that we are really cognizant of how precarious things are out there. Unfortunately (in this case, fortunately in others) our minds have a way of scabbing over those types of memories. A commercial like this pokes that scab.