Anybody who has done a decent amount of traveling in their life can attest to the fact that one of the most stressful parts about travel is the driving. People in other countries are crazy and they don’t know how to drive! Or at least that’s the consensus from the people who have seen drivers from other countries in action. If you don’t know why drivers around the world are so crazy, you’re in for a wild ride.
If you’re planning on traveling to other countries and you know you’re going to have to get around by means of car, here are important things to know about driving in other countries:
They Might Drive on the Opposite Side of the Road
If you’re from the United States and you’ve only been to Canada, Mexico, or other places where they drive on the same side of the road as you do at home, you need to look into the country you’re visiting and see if they do things opposite. If you go on autopilot and start driving on the wrong side of the road, this could result in something horrible like an accident.
Be prepared and write yourself a little note to stick on your steering wheel to remind yourself about the rules of the road. The countries that drive on the left side of the road are ones that were British colonies. India, Southern Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom and several other countries are part of this, so just beware.
Livestock is Priority
If you haven’t been around the block or you didn’t grow up a country bumpkin, you have no idea what this means. In many places throughout the world, the livestock grazes around freely, which means that when you’re driving, there is a very likely chance that you’ll come accross livestock meandering or blatantly standing in the middle of the road holding up traffic. Many countries have a reverence for certain animals, so it’s not okay just to run over a chicken if you don’t feel like waiting. You might be stuck waiting for a herd of cows to cross the road for an hour. Livestock is often priority, so exercise patience, because you’ll need it.
The Vehicles Will Be Different
In the end, driving on the opposite side of the road isn’t a big deal and if you’re on guard and keeping a constant vigilant eye, livestock running across your path will be things that are easy to adjust to and work around. The thing that might be weirder to adjust to is the fact that depending on where you travel to, the vehicles will be different.
Tiny, European smart cars drive differently than your massive American pickup truck. In Africa, you might be driving in a dune buggy or you might be riding passenger in a open air safari cart. In all things, be aware, have fun, and whatever you do, don’t run over the chicken in the road.
