Whoa, what a read!!! I seriously nodded off 4-5 times during it.

Some good points to consider, some terrible ones. There is no one 'right' solution to the perceived problem. I say perceived problem because if you compare the road death totals of today with the '70s back there is no comparison, fatalities have dropped considerably and for a number of reasons.

Where this novel hits the nail on the head is licencing. That Top Gear Ep where James goes to Finland to learn to drive is where its at. Fins learn to drive almost as soon as they can walk. These youngsters are taught in controlled environments on racetracks in all manor of situations. It serves 2 purposes, 1, they spend years honing car control techniques well before they hit the road, and 2, they get all those crazy things that we all want to try (powerslides, burnouts, racing, speeding) out of their system early and safely.

We can learn alot from their system. They drive in crap conditions most of the year yet have a negligible road toll. Go Finland!!