Expat Tips: How To Drive Safely In A Foreign Country

Written for Expat Network by Regency For Expats

To make sure your trip goes without a hitch, you need to understand that not everyone learnt to drive the same way; laws, customs and levels of safety maybe different. Fundamental differences such as driving on a different side of the road or misunderstanding a road sign, could mean the difference between life and death.

Jonathan Wright, Underwriting Director at Regency for Expats, a leading international insurance and financial services company, explained, “As an international health and life insurance provider, we are aware of the rising number of deaths due to road traffic accidents. To reverse this trend, we need to make foreign drivers (in all countries) aware of the need to be extra vigilant. They should watch out for particular danger zones and familiarise themselves with road safety laws, the vehicle they are driving and their surroundings”.

Global road traffic deaths

World Health Organization (WHO) figures show that 1.35 million people were killed globally on the roads in 2016, leading CNN to report that worldwide traffic accidents should be considered a “pandemic”.

The World Health Organisation also names Thailand as South East Asia’s most dangerous place to drive. An estimated 22,941 people are killed in road traffic accidents in Thailand every year. Vietnam is also hot on Thailand’s heels for hazardous driving, during the 4 days over the Christmas period in 2018 there were 147 traffic accidents, resulting in 111 deaths.

Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, Michael R Bloomberg, issued a statement explaining that road safety doesn’t receive nearly enough attention and if it did there is an opportunity to save millions of lives.

Here are some general tips to get you thinking about staying safe (and legal) whilst driving overseas:

Be prepared

To be on the safe side, try to remember the road safety rules you learned back home, such as buckling up, getting insurance and making sure your car is roadworthy, then consult Mr Google to see whether the country you plan to drive in has any startling differences or unexpected laws which could present a danger or at the very least land you in hot water.

Rules and regulations

Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s no excuse under the law. Rules and regulations can vary wildly from country to country, for example there is no right turn on a red light in Europe, in Spain you can’t drive in flip flops and in Thailand you can get arrested for driving without a shirt… not strictly speaking a safety issue but important never the less!

Drink-driving

Another way you could end up in hot water is by drink-driving or being on the receiving end of someone else drink driving. The number of alcoholic units you can legally consume before driving is different in each country, for example in the UK the limit is 0.8g and in Hungary it’s 0.0g. In countries where large measures are served, it is easy to accidentally go over the limit, so if in doubt, don’t drink, instead become the designated driver… your friends will love you for it!

Which is the right side of the road?

In the US and the EU, you will drive on the right but in Australia and the UK it will be the left. If you don’t know the side of the road you should be driving on, you better find out pretty damn quick!

Right of way

Do you know whether buses, trams or trains have the right of way in Belgium… or any other country for that matter? No, thought not, Similarly, do you know that in Asia, bigger really does mean better? Larger vehicles always have priority. Big trucks, buses, vans, SUVs, taxis and professional drivers are at the top, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians are way down in the pecking order.  This is the exact opposite to countries such as Spain, where cyclists (and motorcyclists) are always right and drivers must leave 1.5 metres distance from a bike at all times.

Traffic lights

When in Asia, never assume that because a light is green that you are safe to go, traffic lights are generally ignored, so always approach an intersection with caution. For example, in Thailand, traffic lights are a melee of vehicles rushing through, helmets are rarely worn and drink driving is a problem.  Keep your eyes peeled and your foot on the brake.

Distance

Tempting as it is to drive up the backside of a particularly slow driver, this is never advisable. It’s dangerous!  Last year, Dubai police attributed 42 deaths to aggressive tailgating in the UAE.  Keeping a safe distance between cars isn’t designed to ruin your fun, it is to allow you to adjust your speed and to brake suddenly without causing an accident.

Changing lanes

Still in the UAE…failure to indicate is widespread and attracts an automatic fine. Yet it’s common to see UAE drivers blithely gliding from one lane to another without once considering using their indicators.

Roundabouts

You may think that there is only one way to go around a roundabout. Wrong! In many countries, crossing lanes at the last moment to take an exit is not only acceptable it’s expected. In Asia you should be especially cautious because lanes are rarely observed and roundabouts are jammed with motorbikes. In which case, stay calm, keep your nerve and you should be fine.

Road safety

Road signs aren’t there to look pretty. You need to know about seasonal hazards, closed lanes or even animals on the road. In poorer countries, you could find hazards ranging from live chickens to street-food carts. In the UAE you can expect camels and goats on the road and there is also the added hazard of sports cars being driven without lights at night.

Security

Make sure you are informed by checking out if there are any no-go areas. For example, in South Africa there are well-known carjacking zones, which should be avoided at all costs.

Never drive tired

If you’re overtired you won’t be able to concentrate or focus which can be extremely dangerous to you and other drivers on the road. If possible, pull over and park up until you feel better.

Stay calm

Even the most even-tempered people can experience a degree of road rage when confronted with aggressive or generally bad driving. You’ll need your wits about you, so take a deep breath, stay calm and then you’ll soon be feeling better and on your way.

Last but not least, if you spend a just little time making yourself aware of potential dangers and differences, you could not only save yourself a lot of aggravation, you could also save your life.

Drive safely!