OK, I'll answer my own general question on what should be done to make the highways safer:
1. All states should implement aggressive driving laws. As of July 2005, the following states have enacted such laws: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia.
2. Base the amount of federal highway grants to states on each state's safety record, e.g., accidents per miles driven. States with the worst records should have to clean up their act before they get full grants.
3. Build more highways (instead of giving the idle rich huge tax breaks)
Here's some miscellaneous information:
DEFINITION OF AGGRESSIVE DRIVING (NEW YORK) Operates a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold or pushy manner, without regard for the rights or safety of the other users on the streets and
CHARACTERISTICS OF AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS
What They Do:
They roll through stop signs and run red lights They speed - 15 miles over the limit or more on a daily basis They ride on people's bumpers to "encourage" them to move out of their way They pbutt on shoulders They change lanes frequently, without signaling, and come very close to the vehicle they're pbutting when they do it Unable to judge the speed of oncoming traffic - they don't merge - they just drive right in and expect others to make way for them They become frustrated at other drivers and retaliate: by tailgating them, making obscene gestures when pbutting, yelling at other drivers and cutting close to the front bumper of the vehicle in front of them
