Road Nightmares: Stressful Places to Drive

Driving can sometimes be a very stressful experience which can be compounded if one is in a strange city with unfamiliar roads. In some cities though, the unknown terrain is the least of concerns as the bizarre driving habits of the locals, traffic congestion, and general weirdness of the roads can all lead to pressure-filled driving. Below we’ve listed some of the most tension-inducing cities and why.

Los Angeles, United States

LA is famous for its gridlock, and because of its traffic congestion, they’ve become one of the most polluted regions in America. This means that if you’re driving in Los Angeles you can expect to wait for a long period of time while sucking back smog into your lungs. Traffic is heavy from sunrise to sunset and during peak hours it’ll take you twice as long to reach your destination as opposed to off-peak hours.

Los Angeles

Tehran, Iran

Iran’s sewers run through the streets on both sides in two feet wide canals called djubs. Unfortunately for motorists, there isn’t a barrier or curb between the road and the djubs, which means one must exercise extreme caution while driving, or you might end up in the djub. Add to this fact that most Iranian drivers are extremely aggressive, and it makes for very volatile driving.

Rural Ireland

The roads in rural Ireland are very narrow with long stretches of wall beginning at the edge of the pavement which makes the space you can drive in very tight. Drivers can be a bit reckless by driving in the centre of the road at full speed and only swerving to avoid you at the last possible second.

Rural Ireland

Calcutta, India

Driving in Calcutta can be quite the experience. The horn is liberally used in this metropolis, so it would be a good idea to bring earplugs, as the noise can be deafening. The road is often shared with slow-moving elephants, camels and cows, (which are considered sacred in India – so be careful!) and cyclists. Couple this with dare-devil taxi drivers and buses, (which often have people hanging off the edge of them), and you’ve got quite the stressful situation.

Rome, Italy

Some statistics say that you are 50 times more likely to die in a car accident in Rome than you are in Los Angeles or London. Whether or not that’s true, driving in Rome can be a death-defying feat. Romans drive fast, and they appear to ignore a lot of the rules that are common to the road everywhere else. They overtake where the road markings say not to, they don’t use their turn signals, they don’t slow down in the rain, they cut in on the freeways on the shoulder and they don’t really pay attention to pedestrians. Along with this craziness is a lot of traffic congestion and a tendency for cars to be parked wherever there is space, (often double or triple parked.) Be cautious when in Rome.

Rome, Italy

Nigeria

A Nigerian nongovernmental organization called the Volunteers from Safety Alliance once handed out flyers that said, “Remember that every road user is mad and that you are the only sane one.” Fake licenses are available for sale for around $40, but even if the license is legitimate, there is often no training given before the license is handed out. Gaping potholes in the road that appear out of nowhere can be deadly, and the fact that most of the cars on the road shouldn’t be certified is a recipe for disaster. Add to this mix, is that most Nigerians drive shockingly fast and speed through intersections and dart across lanes of traffic. The fatality rate for accidents in Nigeria in 2006 was around 50 percent, a rate that has been even higher in other years.

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