The few times I have flown into the US (Arizona, SoCal, North
Carolina) I have been amazed at the volume of air traffic in some
areas. You folks have ten times the population in a smaller landmass,
a higher standard of living that allows more people to fly, and better
weather, on average. When we fly around out here on the Canadian
Prairies or in the Rocks, we get all excited if another airplane
passes within a half-mile of us. Most of the time we are all alone, we
think, which can lead to complacency and the occasional midair.
You are right about the need to be prepared for a forced landing
in a remote area. Most of Canada is remote, and it's the law here to
carry suitable survival gear on all flights. Most of the time that
just means decent clothing and some means of keeping dry while you
wait for rescue, but in the officially designated "Sparsely Settled
Area" there's a much stricter requirement and a list of stuff that
must be carried. Lots of folks have survived the accident only to die
of exposure shortly before SAR got there. Lots more have never been
seen again; there are many airplanes out there somewhere. Occasionally
some hunter/hiker/surveyor/prospector will come across one. There are
likely a number buried under glaciers or in the bottoms of lakes.
There's the story of a fellow who was forced down in bad weather in
the Coast Mountains, not far from a major highway, and whose airplane
was found the next day. His footprints in the snow led away from the
airplane toward the highway but not a scrap of him was ever seen
again. He was wearing a suit and street shoes, which pretty much
guarantees death in that environment.

Dan