Myrtle Claus
Italian traffic. You can keep talking about this phenomenon. About the striking rules of conduct that you will undoubtedly have to get used to. The gallantry or the lack of it. The risks you run with the crossing at a zebra crossing. But how about the differences in meaning of those small yet quite essential traffic matters when you're behind the wheel?
Those signs and signals that let your fellow road users know what you're up to? You can naively think that the intention of blinking or not flashing direction indicators is standard all over the world. But experience has taught me that in that area too cultural differences to exist. And depending on the situation and the speed of the moment, these can have disastrous consequences.
Turn signals: an optional
Take roundabouts. Just like in the Netherlands, they are also a direct hit in Italy. There is no intersection in my area that hasn't turned into a roundabout in recent years. Invariably with a cozy flowerbed or an incomprehensible work of art in the middle. But you immediately understand what I mean by 'cultural differences' when you arrive at a roundabout as a Dutch motorist.
As a good driver, I throw my indicator to the left or right as soon as I enter a roundabout. So that it is very clear to everyone what my plans are and that no crazy things happen. But the use of a flashing light in general and on a roundabout in particular seems to the average Italian a Optional to be.
The left turn signal always stays off. The judge is not used in 9 out of 10 cases. So that your ability to assess the behavior of your fellow road users will improve by leaps and bounds. Because one thing is certain: they have not entered the roundabout to take a nice ride. Somewhere they go off. The only question is: where?
Turn right. Somewhere…
If you happen to encounter a motorist who does use his or her flashing light to turn right, it is wise not to automatically assume that they will take the next exit. It can also mean that they will take the second to the right. Or the third. Or maybe even the fourth, back to where they came from.
Everything is possible. So you automatically become very good at quickly 'reading' the position of the head, hands and wheels of the driver in question. So you can drive into the roundabout without too much honking from the impatient behind you. And with a little luck without chunks.
Abundance of flashing lights
You would almost think that the direction indicators in Italian cars can actually be cut back. But nothing could be further from the truth. Where the direction indicators are spared as much as possible at intersections and normal roads, flashing lights – especially the left-hand one – flash profusely on the national and highways. I once learned that you turn on your turn signal to indicate that you want to change lanes. And as soon as you drive in the new lane, turn it off again. Flashing lights that stay on are often a sign of too loud music in the car or of a fault in the 'blinker switch-off' system.
At first I thought that a lot of Italian road users were bothered by one of these two things. Until I understood that they not only blink to indicate that they want to shift into the faster lane, but also to let traffic behind know that they are busy overtaking and move back to the other, slower lane as soon as they can. track. Traffic speeding up the faster lane will know that tailgating is useless, although it does happen, and it's a matter of patience before they can continue on.
Golden tip: flashing headlights are a danger!
Flashing lights can therefore cause misunderstandings. Fortunately, often innocent misunderstandings, because it usually runs with some heart palpitations, a rush of adrenaline through your veins and a fizzle. However, it becomes a completely different story when we talk about signaling headlights. The explanation of those bright white flashes in your rear-view mirror has a meaning in Italy that is opposite to that of other European countries.
Where in the rest of Europe you'll be signaled when you turn on your turn signal so you know that nice driver is giving you time to merge, in Italy this is definitely not the case. Flashing headlights in Italian don't mean 'Come on, I'll clear the way for you', but 'Stay where you are, you snail in your slow car, I'm coming!'
Prevent a disaster
So a golden tip for this summer on the Italian highways: stay where you are when you turn on your turn signal on the highway and see flashing headlights in your side and rear view mirrors.
Never ever fail. Try again when the impatient type in the car with those annoying flashing headlights is over. It's the only way to prevent those cultural misunderstandings from turning into disaster in traffic!
Comments