Greeks love honking even without a reason, carrying their motorcycle helmet in their hand, instead of wearing it and cursing endlessly while driving. In most cases when a Greek sits behind the wheel, all of a sudden all road rules stop counting and good attitude disappears. Everyone who has visited Greece has had the chance to get to know how driving is done in the country – enemy to all rules for safe driving, no logic and accompanied with colorful cursing for all relatives.
Even though during the past few years car accidents have decreased, the blood tax on the roads is still high. There are about 1300 deadly car accidents in the country per year, which puts Greece on fourth place after Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the EU’s list for most car accidents.
Based on a 2008 politeness on the road research by TNS Opinion in the Institute for Road Safety, which was done in 12 European countries, Greeks curse the most of all other EU citizens. The research was done among a total of 6 400 people citizens of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, France, Luxemburg, Holland, Poland and Portugal. As expected, the results show that every 3 out of 5 drivers curse and send to hell all other drivers and most often subject of the cursing are women.
“I had to opportunity to describe the modern Greeks’ schizophrenia many times. Finally, Greeks fully show themselves when they are behind the wheel. Many people are dying to sit behind the wheel and see how their small ego grows to gigantic proportions, without even thinking of the consequences,” says writer Thassos Kaloutzas.
The loud ones
+ Honking is allowed only in case of danger or when driving ill people
- Greeks honk all the time: even for a car to drive when the light turns green
The slow ones
+ According to the road law the left lane is used only to pass someone over
- Many Greeks like driving in the left lane and also they like doing it slow, which makes the other fast drivers to use the right lane in order to pass them over.
The social ones
+The road law prohibits the use of cell phones by drivers, except if they are not using Bluetooth
- Most Greeks talk on their cell phones while driving at least once per day
The color blind ones
+The road law says that you are supposed to stop on a red light and also if it is yellow or blinking
- For most Greeks the first few seconds after the light is red are “green” and the yellow light…no comment
The dangerous ones
+ The road law obliges drivers to use their indicators whenever they want to switch lanes
- Many Greek drivers change lanes without turning on their indicators
The “bugs” (motorcycles)
+ The road law obliges all motorcycles to drive in the middle of the lane
- Most Greek motorcycle driver drive in between cars without taking into consideration that cars need space in the lane too
The modern ones
+ The road law says that the hemet is supposed to be put on the head, while driving a motorcycle
- Most Greeks carry their helmets in their hands – follow the new trend…
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