Ya the US is somewhat behind other countries electrical-safety wise. Another weird thing – all our receptacles are flush, not recessed, so the prongs are still exposed after they've made contact, when the plug is halfway in.

This is compounded by the problem that Home Depot still sells, e.g., non-tamper-resistant receptacles. They are no longer code compliant, but they're by far the cheapest and I've no doubt they end up in the homes of tons of DIYers.