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    How road traffic death rates differ between the US and Europe
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    How road traffic death rates differ between the US and Europe

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    5. misspcv1996 on

      Having driven in New Jersey my entire adult life, those fatality numbers are about half of what I expected.

    6. vm_linuz on

      Looks like states that love massive trucks and states with lots of traffic deaths are the same states

    7. vodka-bears on

      I thought Russia would be higher. And unfortunately there’s no data for the Caucasus.

    9. OwlComplex48 on

      Certainly nothing to do with lower car ownership in Europe, better public transportation, higher gas prices, higher car and licensure prices, et al.

    10. green_bisonstd on

      It would be more descriptive to measure road death rates per distance driven.

      Comparing road safety between the United States and Europe, fatalities should be considered relative to traveled distance. As Americans tend to drive significantly more than Europeans on average.

    11. hermes10101 on

      I think the big difference is car ownership and necessity. It’s a way of life in the US and you need a car in the vast majority of cities. In most of Europe, you don’t. With less drivers and drivers driving less miles, you have less accidents.

    13. sarcasmasquach on

      Anecdotally, I believe that driver’s training is more rigorous in much of Europe compared to the States. I’m a licensed driver from Michigan who lives in the Czech Republic.

    14. OkConsideration123 on

      Oregon being higher than all its neighbors tracks. I was there for two weeks and saw two or three actual accidents happen in front of me, including a car flipping. That’s about the same amount of live/in the moment accidents I’ve seen in CA in 30+ years. Driving around Portland stressed me out so much with just how people drive there.

      I’m from the Bay Area and have driven a lot in LA… Portland was worse.

      Edit: wording for clarity.

    15. i_am_roboto on

      As a Minnesotan I just know we’re gonna be top five in anything that’s actually good

    16. Winter_Criticism_236 on

      Having lived in UK and Canada, and driven a lot in USA, one factor is driver awarness, in UK many roads are very narrow and even the worst drivers know exactly how wide there car is and happily zip down narrow streets with wing mirrors almost touching…
      In USA & Canada most people I know have trouble parking, reversing and stress out if another car comes close or road narrows..

      Driver skill is different

    17. Sad_Balance4741 on

      I suppose when the average Yank tank weighs about 2.5 tonnes and that’s just the driver, you’re going to get a lot more deaths.

    18. Fast-Coast-3456 on

      In the USA you can recieve your driving license as a gift in your cereal box and start driving a tank to buy some milk. Nothing wrong with that.

    19. TheRealBittoman on

      One reason Europe has lower traffic death rates likely has to do with far better driving courses. Some countries require extensive training before you can get a license and stricter laws and regulations for those that drive. Look up Germany’s requirements and you’ll suddenly realize that we (US) basically just go to Walmart and buy a license off the shelf compared to them.

    20. Repulsive-Run1634 on

      The disparity comes down to a few core systemic issues. First, American infrastructure relies heavily on “stroads”, wide, multi-lane urban roads designed for high speed that force dangerous interactions between cars and pedestrians, unlike the speed-calming designs common in Europe. Second, Americans simply drive massive distances due to urban sprawl, which increases their baseline exposure to risk. Third, the American market is dominated by massive, heavy SUVs and lifted pickup trucks; their high front profiles and weight deliver devastating kinetic energy in a crash, making accidents far more lethal. Finally, licensing requirements and traffic enforcement, especially regarding speed and alcohol limits, are generally much more lenient in the US compared to the strict regulations enforced across Europe.

    21. Zaemz on

      I’d like to see this broken down to the county level. I bet there are single areas within a state that are the problem spots instead of the issue being evenly distributed across it.

    22. iheartdev247 on

      I mean how many cars are even in Europe? I assume most are using public transportation in their fairy-like utopias.

    23. bwsmith201 on

      I’m always genuinely confused about how Mississippi ends up at or near the bottom of every single list. The people there are lovely. But it’s almost impressive; the only thing they seem to excel at is being terrible.

    25. burner51591 on

      Luisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas are always the darkest on just about any map.