Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 Fluke 1/4/84; site fluke.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!fluke!dbb From: dbb@fluke.UUCP (Dave Bartley) Newsgroups: net.travel Subject: Re: motoring in Europe Message-ID: <527@vax1.fluke.UUCP> Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 12:30:35 EST Article-I.D.: vax1.527 Posted: Thu Mar 1 12:30:35 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 23:35:26 EST References: <5859@decwrl.UUCP> <817@ihuxi.UUCP> Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Everett, WA Lines: 28 I don't know about "crazy" but it is fast. Most of my driving experience was in Germany, France, England, and the Benelux area. The speed limits and driving habits vary from country to country. Germany is the only country with no speed limit on the autobahnen (they recommmend 130 KPH, ~80 MPH), though there are speed limits on other roads (100 KPH highway and 60 KPH in cities, I think). I have fun explaining how comfortable it felt to drive at 100 MPH (as fast as my Taunus/Ford Granada would go) on the autobahn. All of the autobahns I drove traveled far superior to the freeways here: broader lanes, better graded, better signed, more alert drivers. Passing on the right being verboten is the crucial difference, however. There is no other way for a 4-lane highway to handle cars going anywhere from 50 to 150 MPH in the same place. Left-lane speed-limit "enforcers" are happily driven off the roads. The speed limits and average quality of driving diminish outside of German-speaking regions, but remain above the Pacific Northwest average, at least. I think the difference is part training (it's not easy to get a driver's license over there) and part attitude. When somebody drives over there, they drive -- they don't touch up their makeup, or fumble with the cassette deck, or eat breakfast. They DRIVE. -- Dave Bartley John Fluke Mfg Co, Inc Everett,WA 98206 USA { sb1,allegra,sun,uw-beaver,lbl-csam,ssc-vax,microsoft }!fluke!dbb