wagg88
17 Feb 2013
wagg88
10 Feb 2013
Travel / Driving in Poland, are there any rules at all? [149]
Driving in Poland is nuts. I agree with all the postings -
Tailgating normal - quite often when the right lane is clear I go to overtake someone doing 130kmh on the motorway and I'm doing 150kmh . I'm parallel to the car and out of the blue another car in the distance starts flashing for me to get out of the way going 200kmh. Well in 10 seconds safely I will be able to pull in but no he has to tailgate me for the remaining 5 seconds when he reaches me flashing his lights and swerving around. I particularly like the swerving.
Turning right or left at city intersections on a green - you may need to cross six lanes but you need to give way to oncoming traffic, trams and then people on a crossing who have a green man and therefore are not looking. Lots of concentration needed - but people behind you will be tailgating and generally acting aggressively so try to ignore them but they may try to overtake you or drive around you.
Giving way - it quite often happens when you have right of way but the car coming from the left isn't looking and decides to come anyway and then stops in the middle of the street when they wake up so you have to stop and drive around them,
Cars double parked - quite common for cars to double park on city roads, blocking parked cars and turning 2 lanes into one and then put their hazards on. They haven't broken down they're having a coffee or visiting someone. Considerate!
Lastly you will see many accidents. In my first 2 weeks of driving I saw 2 accidents occur in front of me and a few other aftermaths. Poles will claim they hardly ever see accidents. Perhaps this is a unconscious self-justification exercise for their driving style. Some Poles argue their driving is just the Polish style. 107 deaths per million Poland / 36 UK - 2012. Probably a better stat per billion vehicle km - deaths - 23.5 PL and 5.7 UK. Others argue it's the state of the roads as if they're driving style is normal and safe. Well if the roads are so bad and causing the accidents slow down cwaniak!
What surprises me is I meet normal and mild-mannered Poles who when behind a wheel turn into a maniac. I think the driving test is stronger now but I know many people who 'załatwiali egzamin' so it's not surprising they can't drive.
I really love living in Poland and there are many great things here but driving is not one of them. The motorways are improving things slowly and I hope the new generation calms down a bit.
Driving in Poland is nuts. I agree with all the postings -
Tailgating normal - quite often when the right lane is clear I go to overtake someone doing 130kmh on the motorway and I'm doing 150kmh . I'm parallel to the car and out of the blue another car in the distance starts flashing for me to get out of the way going 200kmh. Well in 10 seconds safely I will be able to pull in but no he has to tailgate me for the remaining 5 seconds when he reaches me flashing his lights and swerving around. I particularly like the swerving.
Turning right or left at city intersections on a green - you may need to cross six lanes but you need to give way to oncoming traffic, trams and then people on a crossing who have a green man and therefore are not looking. Lots of concentration needed - but people behind you will be tailgating and generally acting aggressively so try to ignore them but they may try to overtake you or drive around you.
Giving way - it quite often happens when you have right of way but the car coming from the left isn't looking and decides to come anyway and then stops in the middle of the street when they wake up so you have to stop and drive around them,
Cars double parked - quite common for cars to double park on city roads, blocking parked cars and turning 2 lanes into one and then put their hazards on. They haven't broken down they're having a coffee or visiting someone. Considerate!
Lastly you will see many accidents. In my first 2 weeks of driving I saw 2 accidents occur in front of me and a few other aftermaths. Poles will claim they hardly ever see accidents. Perhaps this is a unconscious self-justification exercise for their driving style. Some Poles argue their driving is just the Polish style. 107 deaths per million Poland / 36 UK - 2012. Probably a better stat per billion vehicle km - deaths - 23.5 PL and 5.7 UK. Others argue it's the state of the roads as if they're driving style is normal and safe. Well if the roads are so bad and causing the accidents slow down cwaniak!
What surprises me is I meet normal and mild-mannered Poles who when behind a wheel turn into a maniac. I think the driving test is stronger now but I know many people who 'załatwiali egzamin' so it's not surprising they can't drive.
I really love living in Poland and there are many great things here but driving is not one of them. The motorways are improving things slowly and I hope the new generation calms down a bit.
wagg88
16 Jan 2013