Overseas driving is great!!

[EDManual]

What interesting stories of road rules and driver behaviour : have you come across?!

In southern Germany, I and my passengers thought it was great when the roadwork speed limits made us slow down to the almost walking pace of ... 130kmh!!! And yes there were workers right there working. Not behind barriers.

Ahh, overseas driving. Makes you think about how much you hate Australian driving. Italian secondary roads were cool for passing cars too, you just pull out down the centre line, oncoming cars mover over a bit, and the car you are passing moves over a bit too. All good. Try that here! Oncoming cars would be that annoyed with you that they would rather have a head on crash just to teach you a lesson!! :

[King Nothing]

One quick one, one longer one

My parents were in Fiji a couple of years ago, and came across some roadworks. There was a guy controlling the traffic at the intersection. One car ignored the directions and just drove through, so the controller picked up a large rock, and threw it through the rear windscreen!

The christmas before last, my family went to new caledonia. We hired a renault twingo for a few days.



We decided to take a drive to the largest town outside the capital on the southern tip of the island. We took the road marked as a major highway, which wound through the mountains. At least it was a sealed road! The road was about 1.5 lanes wide, with no speed limit, winding blind corners, no barriers and locals in hiluxs doing 130km/h with 4 guys in the back tray. Some pretty spectacular scenery though. What was meant to be a 1.5 hour trip took 3.5 hours.

We arrived at Yate, only to find a hydro power station, a small petrol station which was closed, an abandoned town hall and not much else. Mum didn't feel up to the mountain roads again, so we took the costal road home. Again, spectacular scenery but we quickly ran out of bitumen. We travelled through a rainforest, drove acorss what looked like the surface of mars, saw dozens of wrecked cars, and traversed a steep mountain track.

We drove for hours along this dirt track, and eventually wound up at a nickel mine! All the workers looked at us, thinking "how the hell did they come from THAT direction!"

After a 4 hour trip that turned into 8, we arrived back a the hotel exhausted, Mum in a foul mood and Dad chuffed with his "acheivement". It was a month or so later that we found out that it was one of the toughest stages in the pacific round of the world rally championships for that season! The little twingo, which I thought was the most retarded car I'd ever seen, had done itself pround and earnt our respect.

[sgt_doofey]

I've always enjoyed driving overseas in the US, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, and Belgium. Everyone is so courteous there. Everyone gets out of everyone elses way.
I.e. If you are driving on a multi-lane road and someone quicker is coming up behind you, then you have to get out of there way by pulling in to the right lane.

[Homer1]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

I've always enjoyed driving overseas in the US, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, and Belgium. Everyone is so courteous there. Everyone gets out of everyone elses way.
I.e. If you are driving on a multi-lane road and someone quicker is coming up behind you, then you have to get out of there way by pulling in to the right lane.

I totally agree! Drove in Switzerland over Xmas last year and despite the freeways being mostly 2-lane, the lane discipline is so much better that here. Did not run into any left-lane (right-lane here) hogs at all as everyone knew that it was strictly for overtaking only. Even better was that I could drive 120-150km/h consistently (except in tunnels) w/o any police attention as everyone drove at that speed. But in the cities it's worse than here with speed cameras everywhere. I got busted doing 60km/h (force of habit) cause I didn't know the whole of Zurich had a 50km/h limit
:

[RATT]

Originally Posted by Homer1

I totally agree! Drove in Switzerland over Xmas last year and despite the freeways being mostly 2-lane, the lane discipline is so much better that here. Did not run into any left-lane (right-lane here) hogs at all as everyone knew that it was strictly for overtaking only. Even better was that I could drive 120-150km/h consistently (except in tunnels) w/o any police attention as everyone drove at that speed. But in the cities it's worse than here with speed cameras everywhere. I got busted doing 60km/h (force of habit) cause I didn't know the whole of Zurich had a 50km/h limit
:

Loved Switzerland as well. You're right about Zurich, need to be real careful there. I basically spent most of the time walking around and using the trams. Much easier to get around that way.

[perthxr6t]

Phfff you got nothing on driving in Kazakhstan! Try driving on roads with the biggest retards i have ever seen.

Speed limit on the open HWY is 80kph but thats only when the cops are around and you only get caught if they are not asleep or clapped out on vodka.

I have lost count on how many cars i have seen in the 3 meter ditches on the side of the road and the ditches are there for when it snows as this keeps the build up of snow off the road.

Drunk drivers on the roads is all to common and i have seen several dead people lying next to there cars as they don't were there seat belts and they go through the windscreen at 100kph plus

Idiots driving when it is snowing or a snow storm and you can't see 20 meters in front of you but they drive with there heads out the window for a better view and o/take others cars like it is a clear sunny day at 80-100kph and there is always trucks on the road coming in the other direction that wouldn't pass a pit inspection in a million years.

Pot holes in town that would swollow a mini so it's ziz zagging around on the back roads. Cars driving on the roads covered in snow and black ice without winter tyres on and the amount of cars that slide off the road or come at you doing 360's is funny and scares the crappers out of you at the same time.

100's of cows,goats and sheep every morning on the main road but at least you can predict what they will do but the locals walking on the roads is another matter altogether.

It's just crazy over here on the roads so i'll never complain about our roads or peak hour traffic again.

[Keepleft]

King Nothing, interesting pic - the car you show is registered in Germany.

Can you remember the rental agency??

* Rental cars in the EU market, including administrative locales such as NC, can be registered in any one of its member states. Saves Euro's.

Doofey - Agree with observations except that highlighting the US, yes - its fast, but has nowhere near the lane discipline or automatic vehicle safety equipment that you get on the EU market and its cars.

US is fast-ish and 'dumb'. EU is fast and smart/er...... No offence intended, heck, I write text for a few US-state driver handbooks....... things will change for them, but behaviour and stadards improvement takes 'years' to implement.

[Paxton]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

King Nothing, interesting pic - the car you show is registered in Germany.

Can you remember the rental agency??

* Rental cars in the EU market, including administrative locales such as NC, can be registered in any one of its member states. Saves Euro's.

Doofey - Agree with observations except that highlighting the US, yes - its fast, but has nowhere near the lane discipline or automatic vehicle safety equipment that you get on the EU market and its cars.

US is fast-ish and 'dumb'. EU is fast and smart/er...... No offence intended, heck, I write text for a few US-state driver handbooks....... things will change for them, but behaviour and stadards improvement takes 'years' to implement.

The car is on Google Images. I am willing to bet that King Nothing found the car by googling it.

My experiences go as far as the US of A. A couple of years ago, I was stuck with a brand new 4Runner, V6 Auto. It was the biggest pile of shite I had ever had the misfortune of driving. Besides having no torque, it was thirsty, and gutless. I'd have rather walked than been seen with it in LA. I let my Wife have a spin, and she handed the keys back before we left the car park. I noticed something interesting about the 4Runner when I got back to Australia - all of them on the US roads that I saw had Hertz stickers on the back. Says something about the car.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Doofey - Agree with observations except that highlighting the US, yes - its fast, but has nowhere near the lane discipline or automatic vehicle safety equipment that you get on the EU market and its cars.

Agreed, but they are still more courteous on the road than Australian drivers.

[aquahead2001]

I'm on my third trip to Qatar in the Middle East, the first two trips I passengered it but on this trip I took the plunge and started to drive.

Big tip for the your first drive in the middle east, do it on a Friday! As friday is the official day off, there is a lot less traffic and it seems to be a lot calmer. Saturday is also a good day but Friday's are like an Aussie Sunday morning!

So far I've had a few scares, especially at round abouts, where it's a first in first served approach, but generally, driving is not that difficult. I've had a couple of occasions when I've turned into a very minor street in town and driven on to the wrong side (Did it last night and the guy coming towards me just casually passed me on the right!!!) but you quickly realise your mistake and correct.

Yes, there's heaps of accidents and if you get ou to the Panel Beating Area at the Doha Industrial Area, the damaged cars are the stuff of nightmares.

We had a new Driver start on Monday and he lasted 1 hour before ripping the front off the Pathfinder he was driving. Three lane round about, he was in the middle lane meaning he could go around the round about and exit on the second exit and a women in the inner lane who should exit on the third or forth exit, drove straight across his path to exit. Needless to stay a Land Cruiser is stronger than a Pathfinder (previous model to current Aussie version).

Now you'd think that she'd be in the wrong seeing she cut him off etc, but no, the rules here are simple?!@#$#^ If are in front you may have right of way. Or if you're a Qatari you can have right of way and if your a Qatari Women, then no one will question what you do!!!!

[King Nothing]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

King Nothing, interesting pic - the car you show is registered in Germany.

Can you remember the rental agency??

* Rental cars in the EU market, including administrative locales such as NC, can be registered in any one of its member states. Saves Euro's.

Nah that's not the exact car, just a pic I found on the net. Don't have any access to the pics at work.

[leadfoot]

Originally Posted by EDManual

What interesting stories of road rules and driver behaviour : have you come across?!

In southern Germany, I and my passengers thought it was great when the roadwork speed limits made us slow down to the almost walking pace of ... 130kmh!!! And yes there were workers right there working. Not behind barriers.

Ahh, overseas driving. Makes you think about how much you hate Australian driving. Italian secondary roads were cool for passing cars too, you just pull out down the centre line, oncoming cars mover over a bit, and the car you are passing moves over a bit too. All good. Try that here! Oncoming cars would be that annoyed with you that they would rather have a head on crash just to teach you a lesson!! :

Same in Thailand with cars coming toward you on your side of the road...you just move over & let them through..Using the horn has a different meaning there as well..To them it is just saying, "I am here" - here it means "you F@$#%^&"..had to be careful with that when I came back here

[RATT]

Agree with Europe being the place as a great drivers continent.
In 2006 I had a Renault Scenic dCi 6spd manual and drove it from Zurich, down through the Alps and into Northern Italy then Southern France. Even at speed nothing seemed chaotic. It was great to be able to sit on 150km/h and still see the odd Benz and BMW go past!

[deanp100]

Was driving in convoy from the capital of Ghana(Accra) down to Takoradi to do a job and after 5 hours of bumper to bumper traffic from some local changing his engine and gearbox from an old Hi-ace on the highway because the side of the road was muddy. All the way had kids running beside the ute trying to sell the white man(me) dead rats, or bags of water or toilet paper or their younger sister. After finally getting a clear run everyone sped up to 100 or so when the lead car hit an old guy on a pushbike and catapulted him off into the jungle. Lead car slowed and then kept going while no-one else even blinked. Apparently stopping is a sin because then you have to pay the family money for the body. I was the only one to think this was a little unusual.

[Green X]

Yeah makes ya think why we are stuck with all these ridiculous speed limits hear. Australian Road rules breed arrogance.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by EDManual

Ahh, overseas driving. Makes you think about how much you hate Australian driving. ......, you just pull out down the centre line, oncoming cars mover over a bit, and the car you are passing moves over a bit too. All good. Try that here! Oncoming cars would be that annoyed with you that they would rather have a head on crash just to teach you a lesson!! :

Yes deadly combination of vagueness and aggression in Australia. The "easygoing" nation? :

Paxton the 4Runner was a star player in earlier rollover campaigns in US, that's why it eventually disappeared - to be replaced with other good-rolling Toyotas like the Hilux! I found LA very easygoing to drive in - they were even tolerent of the fact that the (borrowed) Chevy I was driving would stall in the middle of every critical action, like pulling into an intersection. In Australia I would have been T boned by somebody "teaching me a lesson". Europe was a dream to drive in even though the Italians (indeed most southern Europeans) are absolutely mad.

The funniest thing I saw was a 2 tonner pantech in Spain that Fangioed up to an intersection and hit the brakes. Only he forgot he had an apparently unsecured load inside. For the next what seemed like an eternity you could see the van shaking as you heard these terrible crashing smashing noises from inside as the load gravitated itself into the front bulkhead! :

[Auslandau]

Had a driver in Germany who we nick named 'Puffing Billy' (His name was William). After every 10 minutes of sitting around 200kph he would slow down to 150, wind the window down to have a ciggie, wind the window back up and then hightale it again. Still being passed by all sorts of cars .... amazing sights.

Dodging road workers at 100k's in a clapped out VW in China was fun! Come over a rise with a bloke in the middle of the road filling in a pot hole. If there was 3 or 4 in a row you could pretend they were witches caps ......... Here, they mow the middle strip, blocking off a freeway lane for km's.



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[Jayden]

I complain all the time about perths roads, I still get lost here and its not even a big city, you point your car in the direction you want to go even if you can see your destination on the next street and before you know it you have been turned around and redirected right out of your way. In the US it seems it was mostly all a grid, impossible to get lost really. why did our engineers have to be fancy on what was pretty much a flat canvas, thats probably a source of road rage.

[Quicksand]

My mate just came back from Canada. Everyone is doing 40 over the speed limit easy. He had the pleasure of being pulled over by a State Trooper! He even asked the guy to take a photo of him being booked lol

Anyway it was a $25 on the spot fine and if he couldn't pay there and then he would have been escorted to the nearest town and driven to an ATM to get the money out to pay his fine! He had an Aus license so they couldn't touch his points. Way more lenient over there he said...

T

[bingoTE50]

In China , biggest vehicle has right of way.Pedestrian crossings mean zilch. Everyone bips their horns and flashes their headlights...unreal..

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by bingoTE50

In China , biggest vehicle has right of way.Pedestrian crossings mean zilch. Everyone bips their horns and flashes their headlights...unreal..

Pedestrian crossings in China are a supplementary population control method to the one child policy. On them you can concentrate people to get mown down in greater numbers! When I was there years ago you would only be flattened on a crossing by a bicycle which you could survive with bruises; I can imagine cars would be more effective. :togo:

[fiesta8u]

germany is the best place to drive in, the express lane, go as fast as your car can handle heheheeee, we were doing 180kmh in my cousins merc when another merc just flewwwww straight past us, its the best.....

[castek]

i loved that fact that the bus i was on going to the airport in Germany was sitting on 150km/h. not only that, it was so smooth i fell asleep.

only to wake up to excel looking cars overtaking

cant wait till i go over again next year, i'll have a licence this time.

whats needed to drive overseas anyway?

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by castek

whats needed to drive overseas anyway?

In Germany, a valid Australian license is all you need.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

In Germany, a valid Australian license is all you need.

Is there still a need for the old International Driving Licence that one used to get from the NRMA/RAC or is country of origin driving licence acceptable OS now?

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by new2ford

is country of origin driving licence acceptable OS now?

Has been fine for me. Both in the US and EU.

[EDManual]

i had a focus in Germany, a 1.6 or so its top speed was about 185, was getting passed all the time! Taxis seem to sit on about 220ish.

Wanted to do 200, so when his a down hill section tried, but found it was speed limited to 190!! Bah.....

[V3RSAC3]

driven in London, Italy and France and have too say that England is pretty bad lol,there is so much traffic there and everybody is so impatiant ... although I really enjoyed the country drives beautiful scenery! ... borrowed my Uncles new Rover whilst we were there, beautiful cars ...

Also on the same trip went too Italy to visit my other side of the family, and borrowed their cars, and driving through the city is unbelievable, it's like road rules dont exist, and the skill they have with parking is amazing, all cars are parked so close you couldnt fit a finger between them! ... although agian, the highways are AWSOME, basically survival of the fittest lol, have ferrari's and lambourgini's flying by you at rediculas speeds ... the M5 had no hope lol ... but country drives especially through the alps is just breath taking ...

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

driven in London, Italy and France and have too say that England is pretty bad lol,there is so much traffic there and everybody is so impatiant ... although I really enjoyed the country drives beautiful scenery! ... borrowed my Uncles new Rover whilst we were there, beautiful cars ...

I found traffic management in UK when I lived there much better than Oz. Sure much more dense traffic but it seemed to move more smoothly. When I got back to Sydney I was amazed how traffic could be a total carpark in one spot and totally empty in the next. I think there are a lot of things we can learn here.

[leadfoot]

Originally Posted by V3RSAC3

driven in London, Italy and France and have too say that England is pretty bad lol,there is so much traffic there and everybody is so impatiant ... although I really enjoyed the country drives beautiful scenery! ... borrowed my Uncles new Rover whilst we were there, beautiful cars ...

Also on the same trip went too Italy to visit my other side of the family, and borrowed their cars, and driving through the city is unbelievable, it's like road rules dont exist, and the skill they have with parking is amazing, all cars are parked so close you couldnt fit a finger between them! ... although agian, the highways are AWSOME, basically survival of the fittest lol, have ferrari's and lambourgini's flying by you at rediculas speeds ... the M5 had no hope lol ... but country drives especially through the alps is just breath taking ...

I loved their attitude in Italy..Asked one guy about parking on the wrong side of the road & he says - "you have the law & then you have practical"
Did you notice most cars have scuff marks on the corners of their bumpers?