Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site whuxle.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!whuxle!jug From: jug@whuxle.UUCP (Joseph U. Grauman) Newsgroups: net.travel Subject: Re: Driving in Europe Message-ID: <269@whuxle.UUCP> Date: Wed, 29-Feb-84 12:01:29 EST Article-I.D.: whuxle.269 Posted: Wed Feb 29 12:01:29 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 07:31:52 EST Organization: Bell Labs, Whippany Lines: 30 [Is European driving as fast and crazy as some say it is?] I'll cast a resounding NAY on this issue. Having driven through a fair portion of Europe I cannot agree with this characterization. There is one major difference between European driving and American driving - in general, the European drivers are much more courteous with each other and with 'foreign' drivers. The Autobahns are comparable to our super highways, and their equivalent of State highways are often 2 lane roads (1 lane in each direction) but, generally, in good condition. The posted speed limits are higher than those in the US (Typically 130 km/hr {80 mph} on the Autobahn and 120 km/hr {75 mph} on the state highway). I saw only one radar trap in the 2500 miles I drove (it was in Switzerland). In fact, the police is not very visible in general (at least in the countries that I visited: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). My general impression was that Europeans are very skilled and good drivers. One of the metrics I used in making this judgement was the fact that you don't see as many traffic accidents there as you see here. In fact, one hardly sees cars on the road (in the countries named above) with body damage. (This picture changed when I took a two day side trip from Germany into France.) In summary, I found driving in Europe more relaxing than in most areas of the US in which I have driven. Joe Grauman AT&"T-BL whuxg!jug