I’ve driven in a few countries around the world, and I agree that the US is unique. It’s so odd that, despite all of our rules, and wide lanes, and huge highways, we have one of the highest rates of fatal car accidents in the world.

I think it is BECAUSE it seems so easy to drive in the US. We expect everybody to follow the rules, and the streets seem safe, so we don’t pay attention. Just like you said above, we don’t have to treat it like a sport, we can just turn our brain off and let the car head down the road. People in the US feel so safe driving that we regularly text on our phones, eat whole meals, dress and put make-up on in our cars. And then, something happens that we don’t expect, we aren’t paying attention, and BLAM somebody dies.

It’s a weird irony, but the less safe you feel while driving, the more likely you are to actually pay attention, and the less likely you are to get in an accident!

Try driving in Naples, Italy someday! They are even more flexible, especially with regards to stoplights (and parking, sidewalks, etc).

Bicyclists seem to be a rather impolite group of people in the U.S. They appear to be very self-centered and don’t like anything that gets in their way. The worst ones are those who have all the “gear” and take every “r” in rpm a little too seriously.