Driving in Italy

Alright. Take everything I've said thus far about driving in Europe--the narrow roads, signage issues, etc--and add to it speed and aggression. It was noticeable almost immediately after crossing the border. The Italian drivers on the motorway follow rather closely, pass with the barest of margins, and often straddle two lanes as they drive.

In the city, these behaviors are amplified. Further, you have the addition of scooters and motorcycles. The two-wheelers use the middle "lane" to travel to and fro. They'll pass to the left of cars moving the same direction. In this case, cars in both directions of travel will move to their respective right to afford the scooter enough room.

When joining traffic (or merging), only about two carlengths are required. They'll aggressively turn right from a side street to join traffic, prompting a reactive swing from the drivers in the same direction of travel, prompting still more reactions by oncoming traffic. But because these sorts of behaviors are so common, drivers are aware and alert. Despite the reputation that Italian drivers have, I never felt that conditions were risky. They're capable and predictable; this makes the overall driving experience safer, I feel.

Still, imagine city driving where everyone around you drives like a taxi driver. And I don't mean these wussy Seattle cabs. Think New York or Boston.