Driving Styles by Region
Posted on: Thu, 2006-09-21 20:29
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Driving Styles by Region
I love to drive and have been driving in many countries. This is my experience (feel free to add to the list).
Disclaimer: This is a funny post. People of different nations should not feel offended by it.
Germany: Drivers are very focused but a little pushy. If you are too slow on the freeway, make sure you change lanes (to the right) as quickly as possible. Otherwise some car will approach you with high speed and tailgate.
France:Slow speed limits and relaxed drivers. In Paris traffic is crazy. Lots of rotary intersections that you need to push youself into (or you stand no chance)
Portugal: Very cool to drive there. Noone cares about the lane markers. 1 lane (each direction) roads are generally used for passing. You are expected to drive on the shoulder if someone wants to pass you during oncomming traffic
Mexico: Most fun I have ever had on the road. They like to drive fast and are very pushy. I felt right at home, since you never have the feeling that they are asleep at the wheel. The slow drivers are ALWAYS tourists.
Peru: Holy cow. Get a cab and hold on to your seat. Never seen such a pushy driving style. Honking their horns almost constantly and trying to cut in at the most inappropriate situations. No pedestrian lights. If you want to cross a street on foot, keep in mind noone will break for you. I guess the same applies for all of South America
California: Here we have to break down driving behavior a little more:
- Asians (women) in California: Danger, Danger, Danger. Worst case driving. If you see someone taking a sharp right turn from the left lane to the exit on the freeway its an asian lady. If you see someone driving 30 in a 45mile zone, its an asian lady. Beware. Don't get too close for she might pull into your lane without warning. I actually had one specimen doing a U-turn on the freeway right in front of me because she missed her exit!
- Indians in California: Rudest Drivers ever. If you use your blinker to change a lane, expect them to step on the gas and not let you in. Very insecure. May take your right of way. Be careful
- All others: In densely populated areas always stressed out and not very likely to let you cut in. In rural areas friendlier sometimes
Washington State: Very friendly drivers. People will wait to let you in and are trying to help you find your way if you are staring on a map.
Oregon: Located between California and Washington State, so is their attitude. Overall pretty friendly and nice.
Arizona, Utah, Nevada: Relatively friendly although I wouldn't want to get lost at night in some of the more remote areas (freaky)
New England: Speed limit? Whats that? I am driving 75mph in a 55mph zone and cars are piling up behind me. In rural areas very friendly, in the cities outright nasty and extremly pushy. Honking their horns a lot to tell you that your 3 feet distance to the car in front of you is considered stalling traffic.
Canada: Extremely friendly and courteous.
Overall: In Europe as well as in America it can be said that the further you get north, the more civilized people drive and the further you get south the pushier things get. Maybe hot temperature makes people to be hot tempered?
This post is not meant to discriminate anyone. I have found most people are extremely nice and their driving habits has nothing to do with their character. Sometimes a very gentle person gets behind the wheel and becomes a rage filled war driver out on a mission to break all rules.
Andre
Let me add a bit about london, its pointless having a car in the center of london as you will be spending all day in traffic. the drivers are also very inconsiderate; and you will have to pay huge Fees for Congestion Charge to drive in the center of london.
For the all time scariest drivers, my vote goes to CHICAGO!!!
I had to go to downtown Chicago once, fortunately I was riding with a friend and didn't have to drive it myself. Entry ramp was on the right. She gets on and zoom all the way over to the far right lane. Cars zooming by the whole time. Scared me to death!! (and, mind you, I was from Detroit so I was no stranger to really scary driving). I screamed, and she said "if you don't drive like they do, they'll kill ya". I never went back to Chicago again.
Reminds me somewhat of my experience in Downtown Manhattan. That was somewhat stressful to drive, but I think that the attitude of the New Yorkers is much nicer than drivers in Boston. I mean they were very pushy but they had to.
Hay what about Australia. Have any of you ever had experience driving in Australia? I find each state different here. NSW where I am from seem pretty civil compared say to Queensland this state is where I have to hold on tight and count to ten. Sometimes I think they forget they have road rules.
i think australia is quite harmless on the roads, couldnt really see any great difference in the states. if the speed limit is 100, everyone goes 90. this is quite annoying if you come from a country with more liberal speed limits. the only place where someone was faster than me was between alice springs and darwin where they have no speed limit in the desert. my car only made 180, think the gearboxes there are more adjusted for acceleration, not for speeding. and they have quite a lot tv, radio and newspaper ads "speeding kills", "dont drink and drive", "take a break every hour" and stuff like that; havent seen this in any other country...
oh, and dont drive in sydney during the day. tried to get from outside north to manly beach and it took HOURS (traffic jam all the way to manly, avg. speed was maybe 4kmh...). if sydney is on your route but dont plan to visit it, try to pass it between 2 and 4 am when only some traffic lights may stop you - but all hell breaks out after 6 when everyone goes to work ...