The International Highway Code: Cars and Driving Around The World
Car owners’ perceptions of their cars vary and many different factors contribute to the final choice but motor manufacturers suggest that if one were to generalise, the average German would buy it because of its strength and engineering input, a Swede for its security, a British person for its stability and social status, an Italian because it goes ‘vroom vroom’ and a French person for its style and beauty. When a chauffeur driven car is provided for a businessman and his wife, it is not the practice in every country that the wife enters the car first, followed by her husband. There are some many countries predominantly in the Middle East where it is customary for the man to enter first followed by his wife, and similarly when leaving the car.
There will also be different local customs and etiquette regarding business executives when accompanied by their male or female
secretary. It sometimes helps to work out the dilemma, if one bears in mind that the car could under these circumstances be regarded as an extension of one’s office in that country. If a chauffeur driven car is sent to meet and collect business executives and one is not certain as to their relative status and consequent car seating arrangements for the visitors, the situation could be resolved by the chauffeur (or whoever is meeting the executive) to ask ‘Excuse me, have you any preference in seating?’ or ‘Where would you like to sit?’ While this might be called ‘passing the baby’, it would devolve the decision making process to the visitors who, one would assume, would themselves know their own respective status and preferences. Similar protocol might be applied when using a limousine or taxi.
Many motoring and other organisations publish books and guides with information dealing with various aspects of driving in other countries. Unfortunately most of them do not include any information about hand and arm signals given by policemen, traffic wardens and other authorised persons, nor about hand and arm signals given by other road users. However these signals, like other body language and gestures, can easily be misunderstood, resulting sometimes in no more than puzzlement but occasionally in more serious consequences.
Drivers should be aware that some hand signals which have a clearly established driving related meaning in one’s own country, may well have a very different meanings to drivers and other road users in another country. They could even represent an insult signal which could lead to further unfortunate end results. In the Balearic island of Menorca a leaflet in English, issued by a car hire company gave the following advice: ‘If you see a motorcyclist or cyclist raise his left hand in front of you, this usually means he is turning right. But take care as the rider may not be local, in which case he may turn left.’
One should be aware that there may well be local customs concerning the right of way regarding other road users such as stray animals, load-carrying animals, animal-drawn vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Driving safely means different things in different countries. In Sweden it means keeping your headlights on all the time. In Germany it means being in control at 220 kilometres per hour. In Italy, being safe is just sounding the car horn. In some countries, for example Germany, pedestrians must not cross a road regulated by traffic lights, if the light is red. Disobeying may lead to a fine. In the United Kingdom such disregard, although not approved, is considered normal.
In some countries the flashing of car headlights at on-coming traffic can mean ‘get out of my way’ in others ‘come-on — I will let you have the right of way’. In the United Kingdom flashed headlights are usually interpreted as an invitation to a driver coming from the opposite direction to proceed, whereas in Cyprus it is more commonly a signal of ‘I’m coming through’. In Mexico an oncoming vehicle flashing its headlights is warning you to slow down or to pull over because you are approaching a narrow stretch of road. It is also the local custom that the first car to flash lights has the right of way while the other driver is expected to yield.
National laws and regulations regarding driving differ greatly. In many Scandinavian countries, for example, it is an offence to drive after drinking any alcoholic beverage. In some countries, for instance Saudi Arabia, women are not permitted to drive a car. There are no International rules and regulations which could be used as a reference of what may or may not be done in the event of a motor accident. It is always advisable to obtain relevant information from the International Division of a national motoring organisation before driving, or hiring and driving a vehicle in a foreign country. In some countries, if one is involved in an accident, the local law enforcement agents or the police will automatically detain all the main parties concerned until all details have been established. In other countries they may take statements from the parties concerned, this takes for granted that one has means of verbal communication with the police or representative of the local law enforcement agency. (Resources courtesy of Schiel & Denver Publishing: http://www.schieldenver.com/)
In many of the developing countries people should, at any rate according to published national Road Traffic Regulations, either drive on the right or the left, many however choose to drive along the middle of the road. In these countries the most essential piece of car equipment, is the horn. The horn is sounded to warn of approach, greet friends, move offending camels, donkeys, street vendors, rickshaws, pedestrians, children and other road users out of the way, allow another road user onto the road rarely, and just because they feel like it. They also use it to warn the poor unfortunate traffic policeman, strategically positioned at every junction because drivers are either colour-blind or don’t understand the significance of a traffic light, that the driver has absolutely no intention of slowing down or stopping, mostly because they couldn’t even if they wanted to. The general maintenance of the horn is prized above all else, including whether or not there is of water in the radiator, petrol, diesel or whether the vehicle still has the correct number of wheels.
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