This Is Italy
Traffic rules. You can't live with them and you can't live without them. And everyone goes outside the book a few times a year. While we've all learned them, some countries seem to be stricter in following these rules than others. The Italians take the cake (and we're not talking about following the rules).
Research by Zoover among 30.000 Europeans shows that Italians are the worst drivers in Europe. It is striking that they also give themselves the worst grade.
Bad driving habits
'Bad driving habits are the norm in Italy. It's accepted among every generation so I'll just assume it's been like this for a very long time," says Italian Davide Tien. “There is honking and yelling in traffic to point out to others that they are doing it wrong. But we're all doing it wrong. Most of my Italian friends know they don't follow the law, but it's the only way to get anywhere.”
Beppe Severgnini
Beppe Severgnini, former correspondent of The Economist, gives in his book La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind, a small look at how and why Italians go their own way in traffic:
“When Italians see a traffic light, their brain receives no warning (Red! Stop! Don't move forward!). Instead, they see an incentive. Okay, it's red. What kind of red? A red for pedestrians? But it is seven o'clock in the morning. There can be no pedestrians this early. That means it's "negotiable" red. Not really red. So we can just drive on. Or is it red at an intersection? But what kind of intersection is it? You can see the intersection well and the road is empty. So it can't be red. It's an 'almost' red. A 'relative' red. What are we doing? We think about it for a moment and then we go… Be aware that these decisions are not taken lightly. They are simply the outcome of a logical process that always takes place accurately. When this delicate process fails, it's time to call an ambulance."
Elisa Murolo, Davide Tien and Manuela Quaglietta complement Severgnini with 10 other bad driving habits of the Italians:
General
- Do not indicate a direction
- Do not give priority
- Too much honking
- Not respecting the zebra crossings
- Stopping cars in the middle of the road to talk to someone
Motorway
- Overtaking on the right on the highway
- keep driving on the left
Parking
- (Triple) double parking
- Park scooters in a car parking lot
- Parking one car across two parking spaces
If you're planning a vacation to Italy, remember that driving with your heart outside the cities is usually a pleasure. As soon as you drive into a city, you often have to deal with the above scenes (not to mention the ZTLs (Zona a Traffico Limitato).
The video below shows the Italian way of reasoning well.
Comments