GeoffC
That isn't quite true. They do drive aggressively but not like the French. Their rules of engagement are *very* different to the UK. There is some method in their madness.
Cruise Control dangerous 5255GeoffC Congested and heavily bibutted towards car drivers. No lane discipline. Signalling is optional. Tailgating is now almost as bad as in Belgium. Traffic drives too close together...
Priorite a droite still persists in most towns and cities and generates lots of business for panel bashers. Taking your priority by flying out of a side road without slowing down is not for the faint hearted and often results in collisions where the driver gets a bit mashed. In general you could sum up Belgian drivers as "brave" or foolhardy depending on how you look at it. A good rule of thumb is that most threats are forwards and to the right - expect to use ABS often even if you are normally good at anticipating traffic.
On roundabouts it is considered *very* aggressive to do anything other than stay in the outside lane. This makes a mockery of 3 lane roundabouts like Montgomery. And you have to be very very careful of the handful of round islands but non-roundabouts where priorite a droite still applies (ie priority to traffic entering the "roundabout" - imagine the result at rush hour). They all used to be like that once upon a time...
There are a few junctions that are so dangerous that a new crash sometimes occurs before the police have finished sweeping up from the previous one. One notorious motorway junction near Tervuren kills someone almost every week. Car accidents were a major source of lost time accidents where I worked - to such an extent they had compulsory defensive driving courses for all employees.
The Flemish speaking traffic lights have yellow and black stripes on them and the French speaking traffic lights are red and white. Each half of the population therefore has sets of lights that they feel it is their duty to ignore...
I lived there for 5 years and managed to evade all collisions somehow. Brussels like London is full of impatient people in a hurry and in addition trams that enjoy squishing cars if they get the chance. It is totally chaotic at rush hour and the only way to keep order is to put traffic police on every set of lights. It is better out of town.
Cruise Control dangerous 5258Steve Firth Still an easy claim to make, FWIW I believe you, still doesn't justify statements such as that below. Anyway, so you transit Belgium several times a year, couple of...
One thing they do really well is tow away illegally parked cars quickly.
OK that is a somewhat jaundiced view of Belgian driving but it is based on long observation. On average it is about twice as dangerous driving as in the UK. If you expect to drive there regularly the book "Driving in Belgium" ISBN 90-6847-052-3 is a good investment.
Regards, Martin Brown
