12149 Car driving etiquette

[quote=PennyAW;116371]We are picking up a hire car in Rome and then heading south. My husband would like to know any finer points of driving etiquetter, in particular useful hand signals, can anyone help?! (We have driven in Italy before...)[/quote]

does your husband usually use hand signals where you live?
i'm truly not being sarcastic but i remember years ago doing my driving licence in the uk and there was this extraordinary sign one could make (like making a sort of circle with your index finger etc) which apparently meant that you were or wanted to turn left, in reality i never saw anyone making this sign and certainly the only really useful ones are a single raised finger (which requires little explanation) or that good old two fingers in a v which is fairly international, for the rest the indicator lights appear sufficient

The fingers are probably what he had in mind, whether there were more local variations that could come in handy in any sticky situations.

most importantly, as you are from the UK, do not think that flashing lights mean go ahead - they mean the opposite, I'm coming through so don't pull out. As a rule I NEVER in the UK or abroad flash my headlights for any reason. Driving round here, people are very positive and yet to a certain extent considerate - if you slow down and pull to the side driving slowly they will just go around you. But if you approach a junction hesitantly, they will pull out in front of you. Never make eye contact - but watch out of the corner of your eye and most of all beware of motorbikes - they may overtake or undertake you need to watch both sides. Happy driving - it really isnt as bad as people make out

Just remember that the car stuck to your rear bumper on the autostrada is doing that not because the driver hates you, it is just that is part of being Italian.

One positive on the autostrade here is that people actually pull back to the inside then when they have finished phoning their mates from the outside lanes. :laughs:

Re hand gestures - here are a few to play with [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCuyrPk7P4]YouTube - Italian hand gestures explained[/ame]

Hope you have agreat trip. :smile:

I can't offer you any specifically Italian hand signals. I rarely feel the need for gestures when driving, but when I do, I just use the classic upraised middle digit. I have no idea whether it means anything to the intended recipient, but since it's mainly about making me feel better, it works fine.

A few small suggestions, most of which you're probably already familiar with, since you say you've driven in Italy before:

[B]1[/B]) Pay attention to what's going on in your rear view mirrors only when you're about to change lanes or make a turn. Remember that if the car sitting a metre from your rear bumper hits you, it's his fault. Remember too that there's nothing you can do which will force idiots not to tailgate.

[B]2[/B]) As F.Bower has said, bear in mind that flashing lights are an aggressive signal, not a cooperative one, in Italy.

[B]3[/B]) Understand that when you are behind the wheel of a car in Italy, you are taking part in a road race with every Italian you come across. This explains the classic scenario where a driver overtakes you on a blind corner of a mountain road doing 80 kph, but five minutes later you pass the same car parked outside a bar where the driver is chatting to friends and enjoying a leisurely coffee. It's best for your mental and physical well-being if you simply accept that you will loose every race you're in and concentrate on getting from Point A to Point B safely.

[B]4[/B]) As F.Bower has also implied, be aware that lane discipline is non-existent in Italy. Italian drivers will happily pass you to the left or to the right if it means they win the race.

[B]5[/B]) Be prepared to see [I]a lot[/I] of accidents. In the two and a half years I've been living here, I'm sure I've seen more smashes on the roads than I saw in all the 30 years I lived in Scotland. Pay no attention to what's happened when you eventually get to the mangled remains of machines and bodies; focus on your driving and avoiding all the idiots who slow down and weave over closer to better examine the carnage.

6) Be prepared for standards of driving to deteriorate as you head south.

Enjoy your trip.

Al

[quote=AllanMason;116412]6) Be prepared for standards of driving to deteriorate as you head south.
[/quote]

I beg to differ on this one point. Driving in Florence or Milan is far more stressful than driving in Cosenza or Palermo in my experience!

It's the law in Italy that driving on ANY extra-urban roads (in other words outside towns and cities) you must have dipped headlights on at all times. Remember to turn them off when you park, or you end up with a flat battery.

Quote...It's the law in Italy that driving on ANY extra-urban roads (in other words outside towns and cities) you must have dipped headlights on at all times.

The actual ruling is unnecessarily complicated, so it's not quite as clear cut as that Charles, so if in doubt, when on a dual carriage way put your headlamps on.

The "rule" to also remember is HE WHO HESITATES HAS LOST!

i know i cant compete with you guys who live over there but i have driven to tuscany a couple of times and in my experiance the italians quite simply are the worst drivers ever and they are very good at it !
be prepared to have some idiot camped in your exhaust pipe when on on the motorway (while doinganything from 70-90mph)
but away from the motorway if you catch up with the nutter who was in your exhaust at say a 't' junction be prepared for a long wait,at least a 5 min gap in the traffic both ways before they will pull out
hope this helps

Also be prepared to be invited back to their house for a long lunch when they recognise you as the person they cut up. Welcome to Italy. :bigergrin:

"moved to italiauncovered.co.uk"

[quote=Torchiarolan;116536]If I can add that,

4)Zebra crossings are interpreted by drivers as only a suggestion not a command.
safe journey :eerr:[/quote]

They are in fact designated crash test zones.

So seriously if you are from the UK and on foot don't for the love of Eric Clapton think you are safe :no:

I did have a hire jeep on Bali some years ago, that was without doubt my worst driving experience.
Himself rather enjoys the cut and thrust and apart from getting totally lost in the one way around Pisa have had no bad driving experiences on our visits to Italy. I think he fancies signalling like a local. All suggestions will be passed to him, thanks a lot...

I don't drive far nowadays but two things that have regualrly put me in "danger" are drivers coming the other way on country roads and are on my side of the road. Happens every time, especially on bends, so I am now prepared for them. English people who hire cars, caught in these circumstances, often swing out to the left instinctively...BANG CRASH!!!

Drivers with mobile phones in their hands, talking away and not concentrating. In fact in Florence, I found that many bus drivers adopted this practice and a few even had ipods plugged in to their ears so you couldn't ask for a particular stop!

All that plus the scooter/motor bike riders who appear from nowhere and weave in and out on the autostrada. The only good thing about Italian drivers is they have lightning-quick reflexes, have to I suppose!

A lightning quick reflex is a vast improvement on what seems to go in UK these days where the arrival of a green light at traffic lights is taken as an invite to consider the artistic merits of the shade on offer with the eventual possibility that some sort of motion would be desirable, preferably before amber!! Not to mention either driving recklessly at 40mph on motorways or driving in the central lane at a splendid 60 mph ignoring everyone else trying to get past!!

My tip is expect the unexpected at all times, my driving has become far more vilgilant since I lived in the UK.
The rules aren't obeyed so you have to be cautious even if you have right of way. I could rattle on about this subject for ever but this is my main advice.:twitcy:

[quote=debswad;117502]My tip is expect the unexpected at all times:twitcy:[/quote]

How wise and right you are:yes:.

So far I've had far fewer crashes in Italy than the UK - but there's plenty of opportunity for that to change:nah:.

motorway slip roads are much shorter, making entering the autostrada an exhilarating experience...

oh, and don't expect anyone to use their indicators

Writing as someone who has only ever driven in Italy, I cannot compare it with driving in Britain..
I drive a minimum of 200km a day, I have not yet encountered any major problems.
A word of advice go with the flow and do as the Italians do..:yes:

Good point that - he who hesitates is lost! If there is zero visibility (in a town) when you're trying to make a right turn onto a 'major' road, just do it. The chap who you think has the right of way has been in this position before, and will be forgiving (and anyway, maybe it's one of those towns where priority to the vehicle approaching from your right still prevails - this is a difficult one to call). But being 'mumsy' really does mean you will find driving much more difficult: hire the most potent looking car you can afford, because driving an old Panda is such a brutta figura that even if it's got a 1.8 16v engine inserted other drivers will assume you are doing 30kph, and cut you up.

About flashing lights. It is always a warning call - either there are police up ahead (so turn off into a side road if your docs are dodgy, or slow down to the limit) OR there is something much more exciting awaiting you. Like a herd of stray cattle, a load which has fallen off a trailer - if someone coming towards you flashes, you really MUST take heed. (It's also polite to reciprocate - don't worry if you flash a carabinieri car to warn them of another pattuglia, they won't mind, you are just obeying the unwritten highway code of Italy!)

[quote=Hopla;117601]Writing as someone who has only ever driven in Italy, I cannot compare it with driving in Britain..
I drive a minimum of 200km a day, I have not yet encountered any major problems.
A word of advice go with the flow and do as the Italians do..:yes:[/quote]

so right.....

Also when I first arrived and drove here I lost my temper more with the erratic driving and the rudeness of not queuing in a traffic jam
Especially as I drive a right hand drive, they see the GB sign and think I am driving like a brit . I remember how they tried to overtake me as I am taking the turning on t junction and I would feel so frustrated and angry ..

On the italian roads we use our hooter more and that would have made me cross because I felt they were telling me I was driving badly, its just a warning that they are there so I dont pull out in front of them.