In a rural stretch of Germany, I was in a traffic jam at 115mph. Very weird -- large Mercedes, Porsches, Audis were trying to get past, and I was stuck in a very nice Renault with a top speed of only about 125mph, so I was getting out of the way.

Something like 90% of European drivers are educated about driving on highways and other roads and willingly give right of way to faster drivers. That other 10% thinks they are driving tractors in the fields. In the US, probably about 40% of the people behind the wheel are capable drivers during their entire time behind the wheel -- whether the distraction is kids, the car, the phone, texting, lack of training or desire to function properly and courteously while driving. Going slow in the left lane, failure to yield properly in most circumstances, lack of attention, or a lack of understanding and experience combine to cause most traffic and wrecks.

A for-instance: people change lanes directly into the path of faster cars without speeding up first. They are only thinking about themselves. Which is it most: a lack of courtesy, experience, poor driving habits? Speed is a much lesser danger than incapable drivers, but the problem is that people are culturally unable to grow and become better drivers.

/..