Observations after househunting recon trip - long

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by kavm

A lot of ideas of driving etiquette are very local. Just for interest, let me share an international perspective...

• In Germany, the speeds are high but there is enforcement against hogging the fast lane. So, you see absurdity like folks going 200-240 km/hr weaving in and out of the slow lane as they are going too fast to spend any time there but are culturally/rule bound to not stay in the fast lane. Drivers are more rule driven...
• England seems very polite driving environment. Orderly, and people in the fast lane respect the need of the folks in the slow lane to switch to the fast lane and give way. The country roads are a bit crazy though. In the US, they would not get a 30 miles and hour rating and people go 70 on them. And, roundabouts are something to write home about.
• Japanese seem to be quite considerate, but I have not driven there (mostly taxi observations). Generally, I saw hardly any active aggression in the society, so not surprising.
• Italian driving has more skill involved as folks overtake on blind turns which no American would look kindly at. Drivers are less rule driven but more forgiving to others.
• South Africa is fairly orderly but there are minivan cabs that are crisscross the otherwise orderly roads and cause mayhem. But people are a bit scared of them as the drivers carry guns.
• India has even more chaos - the rules of the road are not well enforced - but drivers are skillful and give way to others. But, high accident rates.
• Now the US. Generally safety conscious but a lot of aggression - both passive (lane hogging) and active (often SUVs, pick-up trucks, show off cars). That said, Utah is one of the more docile and sleepy driving environments I have encountered. Yes, I have seen aggression, but it pales in comparison...

That's my too cents. I know this is off topic, so sorry if I am contributing to taking it further down that road.

Spot on. With the exception of S Africa I've lived in half those places and spend a lot of time driving around in the rest (I can add the rest of SE Asia, Australia, the rest of Europe, Mexico and most of the Caribbean).

That said, Utah is one of the more docile and sleepy driving environments I have encountered. Yes, I have seen aggression, but it pales in comparison...

Anybody that thinks otherwise is speaking from a very narrow experience base. Even excluding all the foreign countries. Thread closed.