I started riding little bikes in 1970, and by the time I got my first serious street bike (a Kawasaki KZ-900) a few years later we were stuck with the 55 MPH speed limit. So everyone drove really slow compared to today. You'd get a 5-10 MPH cushion from most LEOs, but 65 usually got you a ticket.

In some ways this slow travel may have been safer, but many drivers became preoccupied with avoiding speeding tickets. Most people I knew had radar detectors. Since these were prone to false alarms you were frequently distracted trying to figure out if that beep was a police car, or a nearby door opener or security system. CB radios became popular too, as drivers learned that truck drivers freely shared info about 'bear sightings'. So the 55 MPH era had its own unique distractions.

When I started riding motorcycles had serious safety shortcomings. Most had drum brakes which faded terribly. Lighting was dim, and the horns were barely audible. Handling was often downright scary. There were vast improvements in all of these areas over the several years.

As for the traffic today, I'm often asked by non-riders how I can possibly ride on an Interstate highway. I answer that I'd rather ride several hundred miles on an Interstate, with safe access ramps and no cross streets, than I would just a few miles on a city street with drivers running red traffic lights and ignoring stop signs. Statistically the controlled access highway is far safer.