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The story follows a teen who is too scared of the highways (where violence and murder are encouraged) and is teased for acting like an old lady. One day, he has to get his license, gets on the highway, fights for his life against a motorcyclist with a number of kills racked up, and wins. The story ends as the character appearing to become enamoured with hunting the highways.

It's tonally very similar to "Johnny Can't Speed," but there's a big emphasis on this highway as an outlet for angry violent teenagers.

I read it in the early 2000s in a hard-backed anthology that was who knows how old. I believe that same anthology contained the story "It's A Good Life" by Jerome Bixby

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    I recognize it, I think, but there are a lot of stories like this and can't remember which one. Here are two anthologies of car-based sf stories, maybe you will see it in the table of contents: isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?6099 and isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?291012
    – Organic Marble
    Commented May 17, 2019 at 19:16
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    Oh! This is an excellent angle to try. I've tried looking at all the anthologies listing Bixby, but no luck with any car-based titles (and I doubt the lists complete atm, it's a popular story). I've tried most of the listed to no avail, but "A Day on Death Highway" seems promising- waiting on a copy from ILL, will report back
    – Lyssa Crow
    Commented May 18, 2019 at 0:10
  • I actually looked at that one, the magazine it was in is available at the Internet Archive. I don't think that's it, sadly, but you will know better than I. Here's the link: archive.org/details/Galaxy_v22n01_1963-10
    – Organic Marble
    Commented May 18, 2019 at 1:31

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