The big problem in the US is that the same reasoning that is used to design roads where speed is expected (cars are going fast, a static pole means the car ends

The big problem in the US is that the same reasoning that is used to design roads where speed is expected (cars are going fast, a static pole means the car ends up wrapped around like a pretzel around the static pole, make the pole break away so the driver can survive) is applied to cities where speed isn't expected and there are people not protected by a metal cage walking around. Streets and roads must be designed differently, but I see stroads in the US that are multilane roads with the only nod to safety towards anyone outside a car being low posted speed limits, incongruent with the design safe speed of the road itself.