Hi all.
I've not driven by american roads/highways, but I've seen them and there are some things that surprised me:
1) There were 4 or more lanes on big highways (unseen in Spain, though we have some 4-lane highways)
2) Everybody respects the speed limits (unseen in Spain, everybody goes over the limit almost all the time)
3) The highways and roads are almost straight; in Spain, as a mountaneous country, you may only have half a kilometer of a straight road
4) All the vehicles are automatic. This is due to the good and straight roads and highways. In Spain almost all the vehicles are manual, this is due to the same as above, we are a mountaneous and densely poblated country in which the roads and highways require the intensive use of the manual gears.
Our way of driving is the direct reflect of our way of living and being: chaotic, unrespectful with the rules, but yet friendly (not always...) with the other drivers. Madrid is a jungle. Is the place were all the rules are broken, and yet the people are pure experts in the art of driving (and finding the least space to drive by).
And for the accidents, I won't be surprise if our accident rates are riser than in other countries: irregular roads (lots of curves and hills), lack of respect of the rules, high indexes of driver who drink alcohol, high speeds,... The result is that 5000 people die every year in our roads (over a whole population of aproximately 40 millions).
Still, it is quite enjoyable to drive in Spain
Hope this helps
Fernando