More than 41,000 deaths were recorded on American roads last year, and figures are on the rise. More than 41,000 deaths were recorded on American roads last year. Experts say American drivers break road rules, are frequently distracted and aren't often trained to handle emergency situations. I've driven a lot in Germany. The United States sits in the middle of the pack for highway safety in an analysis of 28 European, North American and Asian countries undertaken by Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute in 1998.
Portuguese roads are nearly twice as deadly as in the United States, the statistics say.
German and British roads are safer. 80.33 Turkey 76.75 Poland 55.71 Portugal 35.02 France 30.24 Denmark 21.44 USA 19.97 Iceland 16.87 Italy 16.71 Canada 16.65 Germany 15.71 UK 12. German Federal Highway Research Institute Sinclair says the good safety records on German roads are particularly surprising because Germans drive so fast. Speeds over 140 mph are common on the nation's autobahns, he said. German tires have nylon caps that make them stiffer, better for handling at high speeds and less likely to lose treads.