Sep 11, 2006

Russian Drivers Worst in Europe

Russia is an enormous land, and flying, traveling by train or driving by car are all possibilities for transport. But if the results of the recent KRC Research & Goodyear poll are true, driving on Russian roads can be more than a little hair-raising, with Russian drivers being labeled the worst in Europe.

Some of the worrying statistics include:

  • 36% of Russian drivers regularly drive over the speed limit
  • 30% of Russian drivers say they've driven drunk
  • 60% of them never check the condition of their tires
  • 23% of Russians overtake cars in road sections where it's not permitted

My first hour in Russia - after entering through Vladivostok's airport - were spent being driven into the city center by a friendly student who earnt extra cash doing airport pick-ups. I'll always remember feeling more than a little worried when he explained at length that the nightly news contained no less than 15 minutes of stories on local car accidents - with his driving style, I thought we'd be on the list soon.

Does anyone else have experiences on the roads in Russia? Are the statistics true? Or are the Russians being picked on unfairly?