I learned to drive in Puerto Rico, where as in most Latin American countries, a car is treated not much different than a horse. That is, people take them everywhere, park them anywhere, pamper them rotten, and sometimes even talk to them. I've also driven a fair share in the north-eastern USA (between Washington DC and New York) and Florida. Having said that, I haven't been surprised by drivers here, and I find driving outside the big cities quite relaxing (except for the parts where roads are slightly better paved than plain dirt). Big city driving (BP, mainly) is not unlike driving in cities around Europe. In BP, for example, drivers either go too fast or too slow, never at a proper speed, and more often than not way too close for comfort. I'm an aggressive driver, to be honest, but I despise tailgating or being tailgated (if that is a verb). There is a general lack of patience in BP drivers as well.
On drivers: For the most part, drivers here seem to be much more aware drivers than Americans (unlike Latin American drivers which are generally nuts). Yes, you do run into the occasional distracted-by-cell-phone driver, and there seem to be a good number of "macho" drivers that MUST be compensating for a lack of... something. The latter seems to be a more general issue of national male chauvinism., though.
On road conditions: Most main roads between towns (except for motorways) are either in very bad shape (uneven surfaces, potholes/craters, non-chamferred sharp turns, etc.) or varying levels of neglect (badly faded lines, cracks, etc.). Very few roads seem to be well kept. I'm mostly annoyed by the number of potholes on main roads and having to drive like I'm drunk to keep my car from falling apart. Sadly, I'm used to driving in these conditions, so my opinion is biased towards tacit acceptance of my existence. There is also the issue of trucks having to share the same lanes as cars. Many main roads are permanently indented and sometimes passing a caravan of backed up trucks, busses, and cars can take a good half hour, especially if going through a town.
On traffic lights: Where to begin... I cannot stand, for the love of God, when a traffic light is red for no logical reason. The number of traffic lights that are not programmed smartly (probably just on a timer) is disconcerting. Spending 2 or 3 minutes waiting for your light to turn green where there is no pedestrian crossing nor an intersection hurts my brain.
On pedestrians: Yes, they think they can win a match between your car and themselves. It annoys me a good bit when you stop to let pedestrians through and they spend about 12 seconds looking elsewhere, and when you start moving again, they cross the road. Gaaahh! The amount of pedestrians crossing is too high and detrimental to my mental health. In Pe虂cs, a big university city, "zebras" are places every 100 meters. At least. (not really, but there are many). It took me a while to get used to the fact that pedestrians always have the right of way here, and had a few scares in the meantime.
The one thing I don't miss from driving in the Eastern USA is the absurdity that happens when there is rain or any sort of bad weather; people slow down at least 20mph as soon as the first drop of rain hits the road. Driving around Washington DC in bad weather, for example, will extend your commute by 50%
I haven't witnessed a large number of car accidents here, though the ogling that occurs when there is an accident and the ensuing backup is frustrating.
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