Driving

When I was in Melbourne, I was driving a Welsh friend around one day.
I was waiting at a stop sign for a break in the traffic, and she said 'drivers are far more passive here aren't they, why don't you just jump out into the traffic?'.

It didn't feel like an accurate observation, because in my experience drivers in Australia are generally very aggressive. I realised some time later that it would not be common in Australia to cut in front of another car from a stop sign, because there would be a fair chance you would be chased and beaten to death, or at least blasted for some time by their car horn.

My brother, who is an aggressive type, once cut across the path of a car full of bikies going the other way. They did a screeching U-turn and chased him for several kilometers before he luckily shook them off. He is still alive, but I sometimes wonder how long his luck will hold. Road rage is a popular sport in Australia, like Gay Bashing.

With a long one or two hour drive to work in Delft each day, I have plenty of time to observe Dutch drivers. I find them far more polite and civilized that in Australia. If you occupy the fast lane for more than a second or two in Australia, the driver sitting six inches behind will flash his lights and toot his horn. Here they are reticent to even flash their lights. They might flick on their left indicator as if they intend to turn left from frustration into the concrete barrier, thereby hoping to induce enough sympathy to let them pass.

A noticeable difference is that here in Holland it seems common and normal to change lanes without indicating. It is avoided in Australia, probably because the police fine you if you fail to indicate.

Speed cameras are usually visible in Holland, and even covered in bright stripes sometimes. In Australia they are carefully hidden, often on the downhill portion of a road where people unintentionally exceed the limit. Nowadays they are too small to see, made with nanotechnology. They are a source of revenue rather than a means to control traffic flow.

In Holland the traffic police are invariably polite and kind in my experience, shaking hands and wishing you a nice day as they leave you with your receipt for 150 euros. That was my last fine for using a mobile phone whilst driving. I was somehow inspired to compliment him on doing a good job, managing to observe me from my left, using the phone with my left hand on my right ear. The Dutch horeca and retail industries could learn a lot about customer service from the police.

The politeness of the drivers here makes it a pleasure to drive. Especially when traffic is merging: the bulk of cars merge very early, leaving a lane empty for an expat opportunist to enjoy freely.

A few things still annoy me though.

One is drivers who don't understand roundabouts.
Some stop and wait as if a roundabout is a stop sign.
Others speed up to try to keep you out of the roundabout, or blow their horn when you've already comfortably entered in front of them, even if they don't have to touch their brakes. A roundabout is designed to facilitate efficient traffic flow, so drivers should cooperate to allow the continual flow of cars.

The other irritant is when I sit in the lane second from the left on a three or four lane highway. This is a good location to avoid the unpredictable movements of the slow cars in the right lanes. Invariably a young male comes right up behind as if to push a point, instead of using the empty left or right lanes to pass. Finally he gives in and uses the left lane, but then cuts me off to swerve across to the far right lane, and then back again to the far left lane to pass the next car. It's as if he's saying 'Look, this is what GOOD driving is! Swerve like a maniac from the far left to the far right and then back again.'

Another is on a single lane road with a 50 limit. The driver in front will drive at 50 or less with a long line of traffic held up behind, apparently relishing the opportunity to control so many people. As soon as their is an opportunity to pass, he will accelerate to stay in front.

One thing that strikes me is that there are ample ways to express displeasure at another driver, by flashing the lights, scowling, tooting the horn. Many ways to spread negativity in the world. I might market an invention - an electronic light message board, similar to those used by the police. You could select a preset message, such as "Thanks" or 'Excuse me", 'Good move" or "What's your number?", to communicate in a positive way with other drivers, and thereby spread goodwill on the roads.

For me the essence of good driving is to use the brakes and accelerator as little as possible, for the smoothest possible ride, while inconveniencing other drivers as little as possible.

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