Riding in cars with Turks

[shadydave]

Whilst researching for my psych paper, I came across the U.S. Embassy's guidelines for driving in Ankara, Turkey. Some excerpts:

- Drive defensively, defensively, defensively
- Expect the unexpected.
- Drive each day as though you were on a mission, the goal of which is not to be involved in an accident, cause an accident, or strike a pedestrian.
- Watch out for trucks and buses that take the right-of-way without signaling, whether they are entitled to it or not.
- Assume nothing. Make no assumptions about what another driver may do or how they will react in a situation.
- If confronted by another driver, stay in your car, lock the doors, and use your cell phone to call the police.

Common hazards in Turkey:
- Pedestrians walking or running in front of vehicles to cross streets and main highways, oblivious to oncoming traffic.
- Inattentive drivers.
- Unskilled drivers.
- Vehicles with faulty brakes.
- Unlit tractors, horsecarts and farm vehicles traveling on highways at slow speed.
- In the countryside accidents, breakdowns, and road work areas marked by stones rather than warning signs.
- Vehicles reversing on exit ramps and on main highways.
- In the countryside, herds of sheep, goats and other animals on roads.
- Driving in the middle of the road and not yielding.
- Dangerous or destructive potholes.

Here's a taxi safety tip: Always ride in the rear of a taxi, never in the front. In the event of an accident, the risk of serious injury is generally reduced by more than 50% for those in the back.

I'd say never go driving in Turkey, but apparently the pedestrians have an incredibly high accident rate as well.

Comments

[liberalnun.livejournal.com]

Driving in many, many countries is that hazardous. Kudos to Asian taxi drivers: only real men (and women) could navigate such dangers on a daily basis.

[shadydave.livejournal.com]

I have to say my main fascination was not so much with the hazards of driving, but the tone in which they were presented, which seems to be somewhere between "major understatement" and "self-help book". "Drive each day as though you were on a mission, the goal of which is not to be involved in an accident, cause an accident, or strike a pedestrian" is definitely my favorite.