I agree, it's an oversimplification. I'd add better condition of the roads, thanks to our 50% tax rates to boot. And not only the 8 bucks a gallon thing (though we do compensate with much smaller and efficient cars), but also the fact that you have to be 18 to get to learn to drive keeps the kids of the roads. Oh yea, and an average 25 lessons with an instructor only at a cost of 50-75 Euros per lesson (which doesn't mean better training sadly). Oh, plus you can expect to fail the exam around 3-4 times. Luckily I spent my teen years in America and learned to drive there. Some anxious moments with my mom, $250 bucks for driver's ed plus 10 mornings with a grumpy instructor and 3 sleepy teens.

But I'd agree, there are lots of factors, all of which account for the difference in deaths. Which is exactly why it doesn't convince me that the raising of the speed limit necessitates more deaths. For to say one mile per hour higher speed limit = x amount of death more is doing the same, not supported by any statistics I've seen (which is not all that much). At a certain point, perhaps, but all I'm arguing the extent to which the law can influence people to drive slower. Faster is of course more dangerous, but that doesn't matter if people drive fast despite the law. Which was the case in America with the 55 mph federal law.

But I really shouldn't hijack a thread about the death penalty haha...I'll leave it at that