Abstract
This paper has four major parts: a quick review of SAE Paper #970280 which analyzed expressway fatality rates in five European countries in the '70's and in which the Drivers' Economic Distraction Indicator (DEDI) theory was first proposed; data is analyzed for '70 to '95 for 11 countries (D, F, A, CH, I, NL, GB, USA, CDN, Japan and Australia) including the adverse effect of the political business cycle as seen in the Canadian data; supporting research is then reviewed and a new basis for international comparisons is suggested; finally, the implications of the DEDI theory for traffic safety in The Second Century of the Automobile are explored with special emphasis on what North America should learn from Europe.