[Ozbrum]

It's just an interesting question ... and could include .. Who are the worst drivers in the world ? but at least the Aussie's and the P### ..  sorry not allowed to say poms anymore with the political correction so rampant here now and we love the the P### (I'm one even after 35 years !) but we at least have an affinity that we drive on the same side of the road.

We in Australia are a very multi cultural society and really assimilate with every person colour or greed (most of the time) that have chosen this as their home .... But driving is another thing. What do you think ? 

 

[JeremyOfPerth]

Having driven in Pomania, Quebec, USA, and Australia I'd have to say it's mostly a draw - except for Quebec.

In the USA (Maryland & Virginia) they have good freeways, considerate drivers, and, where I drove, very low local road speeds - 25mph typically. It was all pretty good. Never had a problem with quite a few thousand miles.

In the UK they are usually more considerate, easy merging, but I've had very, very, obnoxious drivers at high speed who consider my mere presence on the highway to be a problem.

In Australia they aren't very considerate at all. No easy lane merging, plus lots of road-rage. However roads are usually mostly clear.

Quebec! Imagine the entire population of Paris got let loose in freezing rain, super high speed, winner beats all. As a newbie on right-hand drive roads in the snow I think I should be awarded some sort of medal for being able to drive and not having an accident.

[blumf]

Found the driving in and around Sydney to be okay, bit slow but then the police seem to be right bastards about that there.

Italy is full of idiot divers, I think they'd have to be the worst I've experienced. Just stuff that's no effort to do right (keep between the lines on motorways for example) but they don't.

[AlanHo]

During my working life I travelled widely on business and have driven in numerous Far, Near and Middle Eastern Countries, all over Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. I have found good and bad drivers everywhere and would find it difficult to claim any nationality is worse than another.

What might seem to the casual visitor bad driving in some under-developed countries is actually quite skilled because they have to cope with poor roads, lousy road signage, pooor driver training, casual policing etc. Italy, as said above, can be fast and frantic but Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and the Far East could give them a run for their money...

The worst I experienced was Lagos in Nigeria - police controlled junctions were a nightmare and accidents prolific. They once tried to halve the number of cars on the road by allowing odd and even registration plate numbered cars on the roads on alternate days. People just got themselves either false plates or a second car and they were back to square one. Being law abiding - I used a second car......

[rustynutz]

Love the organised chaos in this video...

[Ozbrum]

Loved that clip rusty  and they drive on the left like most of us .......... I wonder how they don't smash in to each other ? 

I didn't drive but experienced the system in Cairo. It was simply wonderfully cooperative. There is no way that any "more progressive" system could function as well given the amount of traffic.

I lived in Germany for two years, I would say German drivers are certainly better than South Australian drivers which I would say are the worst in Australia. However as one travels South in Europe the drivers get worse, in the former Yugoslavia many bordered on suicidal, I saw 13 very serious accidents in a 700km trip down the Adriatic coast into Greece, chaotic in Athens, made the mistake of driving through central Athens in peak hour, the Italians were not too bad so long as you were on the autostrada. My experience dates from the early 1980s, I tend not to drive in foreign countries these days.  The Americans I think are pretty good drivers.

[ridecycling]

Based on traffic fatalities for the year 2004 comparing number of deaths per 100,000 persons; UK was 5.6 traffic fatalities and Australia was 7.9.  

I believe the gap widened even further last year.  

Even Germany with Autobahn sections that have unlimited speed limits was lower at 7.1.
The worst number was Poland at 15 traffic fatalities per 100,000 persons driving.

[rustynutz]

Based on traffic fatalities for the year 2004 comparing number of deaths per 100,000 persons; UK was 5.6 traffic fatalities and Australia was 7.9.  

I believe the gap widened even further last year.  

Even Germany with Autobahn sections that have unlimited speed limits was lower at 7.1.
The worst number was Poland at 15 traffic fatalities per 100,000 persons driving.

According to this, the UK is now down to 3.59 and Australia is 6.8.....
So this begs the question, what is the UK doing that has resulted in a bigger drop than Oz?  :-\

[Ozbrum]

We in Australia and I can only really speak with knowledge and long term driving experience of here in the West and studies/surveys and visitors opinions etc show we are REAL bad ... We lack courtesy big time to the extent of outright aggression to everybody ... Its been said in several posts how we can't 'merge' and we don't give a toss about road rules or keeping left.

We are ruthless with a vengeance to each other and the real sad part is we don't won't to be better drivers and some of us shrug our shoulders and even snigger at the roadtoll and like the badge of dishonor and the cowboy image. Most of us have no respect for anyone young or old, So I can't see things ever getting better here.

[ridecycling]

It is hard to say why the driving here is precarious, but I would say it could very well be a lack of drivers education as well as changing old driving behavior.

At the same time the government and councils are all packs of idiots who really don't help the situation much either.  Just this evening it showed a TV article where in a 10K section of road there were 10 different speed limit signs within the 10K stretch.    

The signage here is an absolute joke.  It is not geared toward safe driving, yet only revenue raising and a reason to hand out fines.  

That unto itself is just as likely a reason why drivers in Australia are how they are - the people governing the roads are moronic.

[Surferdude]

Based on traffic fatalities for the year 2004 comparing number of deaths per 100,000 persons; UK was 5.6 traffic fatalities and Australia was 7.9.  

I believe the gap widened even further last year.  

Even Germany with Autobahn sections that have unlimited speed limits was lower at 7.1.
The worst number was Poland at 15 traffic fatalities per 100,000 persons driving.

In the 12 months to January 2010, Australia's rate was 6.9

[Surferdude]

Some more intriguing comparisons.

Among the OECD nations for which 2007 data were available, Australia had:
• the 14th lowest rate out of 29 nations in terms of annual road deaths per population;
• the 9th lowest rate out of 23 nations in terms of annual road deaths per registered vehicle;
• the 6th lowest rate out of 15 nations in terms of annual road deaths per vehicle kilometres
travelled.

I suspect these figures are a bit skewed by the lack of some imformation from some countries. But I do feel we probably travel more long distances than most other countries and at least in comparison with the more developed Euro countries our cars would be a little less safe across the board.

[Surferdude]

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/2009/pdf/rsr_05.pdf

This is page 9 of a major document.
Page 9 gives you the figures as per 2007.
You may find some of the other stuff worth a read.

[bumpkin]

So this begs the question, what is the UK doing that has resulted in a bigger drop than Oz?  :-\

Gridlock.  It's difficult to have fatal accidents trundling around our pathetic infrastructure at 20mph

[rustynutz]

I suspect these figures are a bit skewed by the lack of some imformation from some countries. But I do feel we probably travel more long distances than most other countries and at least in comparison with the more developed Euro countries our cars would be a little less safe across the board.

That link I posted earlier shows "Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle km" for quite a few Countries....The UK still leads the way compared to Australia....5.7 to 6.5.

Gridlock.  It's difficult to have fatal accidents trundling around our pathetic infrastructure at 20mph

 

[eye30]

I don't want to be a statistic

We in Australia and I can only really speak with knowledge and long term driving experience of here in the West and studies/surveys and visitors opinions etc show we are REAL bad ... We lack courtesy big time to the extent of outright aggression to everybody ... Its been said in several posts how we can't 'merge' and we don't give a toss about road rules or keeping left.

We are ruthless with a vengeance to each other and the real sad part is we don't won't to be better drivers and some of us shrug our shoulders and even snigger at the roadtoll and like the badge of dishonor and the cowboy image. Most of us have no respect for anyone young or old, So I can't see things ever getting better here.

My experience and observation exactly......what about tailgating? 110kmh and its not uncommon to see 6 or seven cars in a row with no more than 2-3 car lengths or less between them.  This is an offence why do the police not enforce this rule?

[rustynutz]

My experience and observation exactly......what about tailgating? 110kmh and its not uncommon to see 6 or seven cars in a row with no more than 2-3 car lengths or less between them.  This is an offence why do the police not enforce this rule?

I suspect it's because the road rule states (here in Oz), "A driver must drive a sufficient distance behind a vehicle travelling in front of the driver so the driver can, if necessary, stop safely to avoid a collision with the vehicle."

How can you know what was an insufficient distance unless you've actually ran into them??? 

[snowcherry]

I suspect these figures are a bit skewed by the lack of some imformation from some countries. But I do feel we probably travel more long distances than most other countries and at least in comparison with the more developed Euro countries our cars would be a little less safe across the board.

we'd have lower road toll if we had improved safer roads to.

My experience and observation exactly......what about tailgating? 110kmh and its not uncommon to see 6 or seven cars in a row with no more than 2-3 car lengths or less between them.  This is an offence why do the police not enforce this rule?

you've been stuck behind a damn truck for 1/2 hour, the roads are crap and there's been no overtaking opportunity. more cars come up behind you. you're all waiting to overtake at first chance. new comers at the back don't realise how long you've all been waiting and try to jump the 'queue' so the front runners start squishing up to stop them doing that. you end up with a row of tail gaters. happens a lot on the bad roads up here. and its how a lot of the accidents happen to i think, as they overtake and stuff up on the bad road, either a pothole or gravel or slide off the edge. or are so grumpy about waiting they misjudge the timing.

[Hemmi]

7 people have died in car accidents this year in Iceland, the population is 318.000.
Seriously injured are 156.