Bad Driving

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:50 am

There are a lot of posts about how awful Portuguese drivers are.
I disagree. I find them polite and considerate. If you are overtaking on a motorway and a faster car comes up from behind, they will generally wait politely until you pull in. Try that in France or Italy and see what happens. Such aggressive behaviour. It presumably depends what you are used to. I once worked in Kansas for a few months. When I came back to England, I found the roads, driving and speed quite scary.

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:56 am

perhaps G or Kteee can move the driving posts (from Inter. School topic) onto here?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:20 am

This is now a 'Portuguese Drivers 'topic it seems.......And I can only wonder if petermeachem has ever been to Portugal....I have been flashed and bullied off the the road by maniac Macho men almost daily ...I have been passed by Macho Motorbikers on ONE wheel many times..(They ride on the rear wheel only) and I witness just so many bad accidents very often.....France is never a problem...Italy..Mmmmm yes not good either.....I think its all down to a young nation growing rapidly and lack of government education ref driving practices / TV messages ref Drink Driving / car to car stopping distances etc etc.....In time It will improve but it will take time and Government intervention...and education.....
Just my thoughts......Sorry to deviate again...

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:28 am

I've been to Portugal loads of times over the last 15 years or so and driven round a good chunk of it.
Are you sure you haven't got France and Portugal muddled up? France is the big square country and Portugal the little rectangular one.
Alternatively, which part of Portugal are you talking about? Even Lisbon is a breeze.
Last year we drove to Portugal, so did England, France, Spain and Portugal. There were 4 of us in the car and we all found Portugal the best and France by far the worst.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 1:19 pm

it said in the "News" some time ago...portugal has the worst accident record in europe..third worst in the world.

every day i see the remains of a recent accident...there are many reasons..bad driving rotten roads no police .the list is endless....but simple driving here is dangerous of that i can assure you

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 1:57 pm

Absolutely agree with the last guest.....Petermeachem ..well what can I say...is he for real !! other than facts and statistics and everybody who have there eyes open know the situation here....there is no argument Im afraid...Portugal has the worst record by far than any other EU state except Greece ...and having lived my whole life all over the world I can without doubt say this is the most dangerous place to drive in the EU....It seems to be an attitude problem to me..I agree with the earlier person about driver education but I also feel the Portuguese (Who I love ) grow Horns once they get behind the wheel .and seem to think that one should not leave any spave between you and the driver in front...and if you do...I,m coming through at any cost.....I also have never experienced this in France.......

digger · Post by **digger** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:47 pm

Anonymous wrote: the Portuguese (Who I love ) grow Horns once they get behind the wheel

…yes at times it does seem so…..but how often do you see any road-rage in Portugal?…..in some countries driver fight to the death…. here they may seem discourteous, get too close, shake their head in mock despair, and use their horn unnecessarily….but it’s just their way of doing it…. this behaviour is considered the norm by their fellows…..and it’s not just the men….young mothers on the school run are as bad.
The best way to handle it is to relax and ignore them….they wont mind….

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:53 pm

Digger's got it right. They are no worse or better than any one else. You can say "the Portuguese". "the French" etc, its impossible to generalise like that. But I will add that a lot of accidents are caused by holidaymakers coming out of the airports and not having a clue!

digger · Post by **digger** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 2:53 pm

the Portuguese are bad drivers....about the worst......but they're not vicious like the loonies in Lincs....

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:11 pm

use their horn unnecessarily! try France or Italy.

Can I assume that Guest and Guest live in Portugal? There is a tendency to think that wherever you live, the driving is worst. My sister lives in a largely uninhabited bit of Wales and is sure that the virtually empty roads are very busy. I went to Chichester the other day. I was overtaken on the wrong side twice (people undertook and then pulled in front of me while I was overtaking someone else), and got carved up on a roundabout. On the way back on the Chichester to Bognor road I followed someone for a mile or so who wished to eventually turn right so sat in the outside lane at 50mph holding up a queue of traffic. This is all perfectly normal round here. 10 mile round trip by the way!
Mind you, most of the time in Portugal I'm driving to Odemira from Lisbon and round places like Milfontes. Perhaps the locals are better than in the Algarve. And perhaps the loonies have a day off when we go down to the Algarve.
I see from tables of stats there are more accidents in Portugal. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that the English are good at dodging.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:49 pm

GROW horns Peter NOT USE.. their horns.......yes Portuguese are not a nasty lot thats true....not much road rage ....and I think they are worse in the Algarve than further north....but the truth is that their driving skills and knowledge of stopping distances etc etc are sadly lacking...otherwise they wouldnt tail gate at 70 ..swing out into oncoming traffic and back into a slot smaller than the length of their car ..as they do all the time.....another peculiar and rather morbid thing is that when there is a big accident with bodies all over the place (I have seen this a few times in the last 6 months..twice at the lights leading out of Carvoeiro...up the hill towards Portimao) ...they stop their car and together with the kids walk back for a good look...chat to the police ..its rather like a day out.....WHY do they do this and why do the police not move them on rather smartish.....rather similar to the way they all stop to watch the recent fires.....funny lot I thinks !!!

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:02 pm

use their horn unnecessarily response to digger
tail gate . again driving back through France I had some French guy or another on my rear bumper most of the time. Also, have you been on the M6 north of Birmingham. Scarier than Alien that is.
I'm afraid the English are just as guilty as most other countries when it comes to ogling fires and accidents. If there is an accident on one side of the motorway, there is a traffic jam on the other with people having a good look.

pinkiebluesky · Post by **pinkiebluesky** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 4:02 pm

The answer is easy, if you don't like it don't come here

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:52 pm

Hi guys

I have to agree, the driving in Portugal can be compared to a white knuckle ride....to say the least for the more timid lady driver. Even when I am not driving I am terrified.
I think the answer is to buy a great big 4 wheel drive with bull bars at the front and a big tow bar at the back. Not to mention side impact bars etc.

I have told hubby if he wants me to drive....I am not trundling around in a bloody corsa!

Piglet

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:06 pm

To Pinkiebluesky...(Who ???) ....Its one Europe now (So they say) and we all intermix...Portuguese to Uk ..Vice «Versa etc etc...and I think it is important to 'Get involved' and try to create a better place...for all....statements like you make are really rather unconstructive ...I hope Portuguese or any other nation that come to live in my country (UK) ..put their point and opinion forward...otherwise we create a barrier...join in and make a better place...any resident...any nationality.....If you come to my country and you find National Health is not up to it...!!!!!!!!!!! ....as its not....welcome to join in and complain......dont say ..well if you dont like it leave....MMmmmmm...

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