I agree. However, I find that even more remarkable. I looked at the wiki statistic yesterday and the comparison between Germany (where I grew up) and the US made me think. Roads in Germany do feel safer and better organized. But because of the famously high speed limits on the Autobahn I didn't expect to see number like this. I used ot go 220km/h in a Golf 2 from 1994. That was even scarry back then at times and seems downright insane now that I am used to US traffic.

As someone else mentions, I think that drivers pick lanes at will leads to constant lane changes and also to traffic jams and reduces throughput. That to me is a huge thing that needs fixing. It also makes driving much more pleasant. You never have a "wall" of three slow cars in front of you and now have to figure out which one of them will eventually make way, so that you can pass and now everyone has to change lanes. It's insane! In addition to the broken "protocol" that's being used on roads cars are also much less save. Lots of pickups have these pipes on front of their car's grills (sorry no idea how those things are properly called). These are actually illegal in Germany because they increase injury likelihood for pedestrians. Trucks in Europe have to have barriers on the side, so that in a collision they push a car aside and have a big impact area, rather than just hitting with a car with the edge of the trailer just at the same height as where people's heads are. Really cheap to do and would save lots of lifes. There are also many more very large cars in the US. If those crash into a smaller car that can have much more severe consequences. I think the lack of monster pick up trucks in Europe helps. I know many people here get these trucks to defend themselves against other people who are in these huge vehicles.