I think the part we are missing is environment, the roads are completely different across the country and countries, and someone in CA will have a widely different experience then someone in VA I suspect. The roads / interchanges are all different and the weather, sun etc, all different angles and all effect how AP1, AP2 performs.
I don't disagree, but at the same time I've driven in multiple states with dramatically different highway setups and lane markers. And I grew up in the Midwest and have taken dozens of road trips spanning Illinois, and don't see anything terribly special about their conditions vs the ones I've driven in.
Absolutely, differing highway markings make a HUGE difference. Even AP1.0 performance with botts' dots and "fat lane markers" (*glares at Nevada*) was dicey at first in 7.1 and improved in a later 8.0 build for me.