Over 10 times more people die in circulatory diseases than accidents ([source](http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/06/deaths-mortality-rates-cause-death-2011)). Nevertheless people (in general) fear accidents more than circulatory disease. There are statistically even more unlikely things that people fear, such as lightning.

What is the reason for this?

One thing that came to my mind is that these unlikely things are reported more in the media, but there must also be something else behind this.