In Russia, the roads are treacherous. In 2016 alone, over 19,000 people were killed on Russian roads and another 335,000 were injured. Unfamiliar drivers playing chicken with one another, drunk drivers, and road rage incidents all make driving in Russia a nerve-wracking experience. That being said, Russian drivers are still worse than their American counterparts when it comes to their average response time, failure to yield, or stopping distance from other cars on the road. Why is this? Is it just because Russians are in a rush to get places? Or is there something about their driving culture that makes them unsafe behind the wheel? Let’s take a look at the facts and see what we can learn from them.
Why Are Russian Drivers So Bad?
Drivers in Russia are terrible. The rule of the road is to honk at someone to get them out of your way, not to indicate you’re passing. We wound up taking the metro to most places as it was faster than driving! Russia has one of the highest accident rates in the world, and Moscow is one of the most dangerous cities for drivers. The roads are poorly maintained, often with missing guard rails, and rush hour can begin as early as 4 am and go until midnight.
Russian Roads Are In Shambles
1. Russians Drive Like Crazy
In 2016, the Russian government stated that the country had a total of 21.4 million registered vehicles. That is more than double the number of vehicles in the U.S. Yet with that many cars on the road, it is still widely believed that Russia has one of the worst road safety records in the world. In 2014, Russia had a fatality rate of 26 deaths per 100,000 people which was more than double that of France (12) and Greece (16). The U.S., by comparison, had a fatality rate of 6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014. Why is this?
2. Russians Drive Like They’re In A Race
It seems to be common knowledge that Russians are very competitive and are all about winning at everything they do whether it’s sports or business or just driving their car around town at night when everyone else is home sleeping safely at home with their families. Why else would they try to beat other cars to the red light? To win at all costs, Russians race other drivers at red lights and stop signs.
3. Russians Drive Like They’re In A War
To say that Russian drivers are crazy would be an understatement. Just look at this video of a driver in a semi-truck racing a car on the side of the road for no apparent reason. When you think about it, this is a pretty dangerous thing to do as it puts both vehicles in danger by speeding up and slowing down at unusual times. This also shows that Russians do not give up easily when they want something and will stop at nothing to get it. reason. They drive like they’re in a war.
4. Russians Drive Like They Live In A Third-World Country
Russian drivers are not only crazy, but they are also incompetent and ignorant of the rules of the road. There is an unwritten rule in Russia that says you should not pass another car on the right side of the road unless the car is pulling out from a parking lot or you are going on a side road that is too narrow for two cars to pass each other. When driving, Russian drivers often ignore red lights and stop signs which could cause a serious accident if any other cars were to pass them at the same time as them.
Drunk Driving Is The Norm
1. The craziest thing about Russian drivers is that they are so crazy, it seems like they are acting out a scene from a movie. Case in point, this video of a woman driving on the right side of the road and then swerving to the left and back again in an attempt to lose her pursuers. These drivers are not only dangerous but they’re also highly unpredictable!
2. It seems like no matter where you go in Russia, you’re going to find some guy who has never driven before but thinks he can do better than you because he has watched too many movies reason. Russian drivers are known to do insane things like this behind the wheel.
3. Dozens of videos have surfaced on YouTube showing Russian drivers doing dangerous things like driving in the middle of the road, driving on the sidewalk, and even driving in no-parking zones. Why is this? It might be a cultural thing, but then again maybe something else is going on here.
4. Russian movies are some of the scariest movies ever made because of their realistic portrayal of what can happen when you’re out on the street at night in Russia and you’re not careful enough with your car. For example, here is a video of a truck driver smashing into a car while proceeding through an intersection at night without stopping for red lights or stop signs.
Russians Are Unfamiliar With Their Vehicles reason.
1. Russians Drive Like They’re In A Fight
When driving in Russia, people often get into fights with one another and even end up killing each other over very minor things like a car cutting them off or a driver not giving them the right of way. These types of incidents occur so often that they have become a common occurrence in Russia and the police aren’t even able to keep up with all of the cases that are reported every year. This video shows just how dangerous Russian drivers can be behind the wheel:
2. Russian Drivers Are Unsafe
In 2015, 63% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were found to be intoxicated. That is double the amount from 2010 when only 36% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were found to be intoxicated by law enforcement authorities. The number has since increased considerably from 31% in 2014 to 63%. Why is this? Do Russians drink more than Americans? Is it because they drive more? It is the reason.
3. Russians Drive Like They’re Drunk
It is well known that Russia has a huge problem with drunk driving. In 2014, the Russian government stated that there were over 1,500 deaths per year due to drunk driving in the country. Because of this, it is common for police to pull over drivers and make them do breathalyzer tests when they are caught drinking and driving.
4. Russians Drive Like They’re Playing Chicken With Other Drivers
In Russia, there are a lot of roads where drivers will race each other at high speeds on narrow roads to see who can get to their destination first. When cars meet head-on at these intersections at high speeds, it is almost always possible that someone will be seriously injured or killed as a result of the crash.
5. Russians Drive Like They’re Playing Chicken With One Another
Just like people in America who play chicken with one another on the freeway or for other reasons. In Russia, drivers are a lot more dangerous and aggressive towards one another than they are in the U.S. Why else would you see drivers running through red lights? Why else would you see cars swerving in the middle of the road and trying to cut off other cars?
6. Russians Drive Like They’re In A Haunting
While driving, Russian drivers are notorious for pulling over and getting out of their car to ask strangers walking down the street if they’ve seen their child or dog. They do this as if they don’t trust modern technology, which is odd considering that Russia has an extensive network of CCTV cameras all over their cities. The reason is that Russians want to know who has harmed them or who is about to harm them because it is a common belief that someone will try to kill you once you cross a certain age threshold (30). To make sure that this doesn’t happen, people go out into their reason. The driver of the car was killed in the accident and the driver of the truck was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
Conclusion
All in all, Russian drivers are significantly worse than their American counterparts. This is because their roads are in terrible condition, they drink and drive a lot, have little experience driving their vehicles, and have confusing road rules and cultures. Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done to improve the situation. After all, there’s nothing that can be done to improve the state of Russian roads. Drivers can, however, be more careful on the roads and take steps to keep themselves and others safe. If you’re traveling to Russia or live there, make sure to be on the lookout for bad drivers, avoid driving at night, and always be aware of your surroundings.
