The problem with both of these numbers is that they are highly sensitive to how (city/suburban/rural, freeway/highway/byway) people drive.
replyI haven't conveniently left out anything. I wrote my previous comments intentionally, and specified which statistic I was talking about. If you misread it, that's on you.
replyI used this statistic because yours is like saying the US is richer than Switzerland, if you don't divide by the number of people. Pretty irrelevant.
There is no point comparing a country that drives everywhere with a country that doesn't using a metric that doesn't account for this difference.
You named the two European countries higher than the USA, and ignored the 12 that are lower.
replyI presented the US' position in the list with the surrounding European countries, both higher and lower, to show that it sits in the cluster. It can be at the edge of the cluster, that's fine. The other person was claiming a 2-10x difference and, more importantly, blaming it on the 'havoc' that occurs without the presumption of guilt. The countries I listed have that presumption, and yet have comparable rates.
reply> There is no point comparing a country that drives everywhere with a country that doesn't
replyUnless the argument is that driving everywhere is a stupid and irresponsible way to operate a society.
Perhaps but seems irrelevant to a discussion that's around the question of policy as it relates to people who are already driving.
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