Today a London newspaper reports the numbers of people killed on the roads in developed countries. The figures from the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development show an average figure for their member states of 17.83 people killed per billion vehicles per kilometre. Slovenia has 22, Greece 27, at 45 is Slovakia, and up at 72 is Turkey. These figures are not addressed to tourists, and I expect that they are at higher risk in countries that drive on the left, including Britain. The report has not yet reached the site http://www.independent.co.uk, but may well do so tomorrow. OECD has a page already, reachable via http://oecdpublications.gfi-nb.com/c...ct/772003021P1, but you have to pay to read the report.

The Independent costs 60 pence in Britain, but thrice that elsewhere.

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Ben:

What evidence is there for expecting tourists to have higher accident rates in countries that drive on the proper side?

I've never seen a foreign car in an accident in the UK (but I've heard of lots of Brits get into accidents in Oz).

Actually, I'd expect the opposite from you: tourists don't get drunk as often, and are rarely desperate to get to the next meeting or get to the bank before it closes. They don't drive fast through built-up areas at school chucking-out time: they're not showing off to their girlfriends. And above all, tourists from countries that drive on the wrong side are on edge - alert in other words - when driving in the UK (and, like the rest of us, avoid driving in Japan, South Asia or most of SE Asia).

And, of course the two major left-hand drive OECD countries have just about the world's safest roads anyway. Britain's 1.2 deaths per ... and Australia's 1.45 are now better than the US.

Statistics sure can be misleading. A couple of points come to mind in the statistics Ben has listed above.

First, the report is only for the number of people KILLED in the accidents. Isn't it likely that far more accidents in The Netherlands or Britain for example involve a car running off a road into a ditch or canal, while in Turkey or Greece when you run off a road, you are much more likely to be killed, as you're probably going off a cliff? So do these statistics suggest that there are more accidents in those countries or simply when there are accidents they are more likely to be fatal?

Secondly, since these figures do not relate at all to tourists, and there are certainly many more tourists driving around France or Britain than there are around Turkey, trying to make these figures mean anything with regards to tourism just doesn't work.

Some info from Scotland:

FOREIGN DRIVER SUMMARY
5.41 The main conclusions from the analysis of Highland's foreign driver data were for the period 1999 to 2000:

Three-quarters of accidents involving a foreign driver are caused by the foreign drivers

The main cause of a foreign driver accident is unfamiliarity with the road and driving on the left

Foreign drivers probably drive more defensively than other drivers

The majority of accidents involving foreign drivers in the Highlands during 1999 and 2000 occurred on 60mph, A class, single carriageway roads (single-track, or 2 lanes one in either direction)

For FlannerUK. You may well be right. I simply notice over the years the worry Americans on this forum have about the idea of driving on the left, especially in their first day. As you say, that worry may lead to higher safety.

For Patrick. I have no view on your first point. On your second, it does seem to me that if you drive, however well, in a country where native drivers are killing a lot of people you are more likely to be hit than in a country with a lower death figure.

I was interested in part because subjectively I should not have expected Slovakia nor Slovenia to stand high in the table. Neither public conduct in general nor what little I have seen of driving habits seem dangerous.

Ben Haines, London

Interesting analysis from flanneruk regarding tourist drivers. Yes, most definitely, we drove with extreme care and caution when visiting England ... however, that wasn't enough to avoid some pretty dangerous situations that we (I admit) got ourselves into.

We drove into Bath and headed down a one-way street - the WRONG WAY! The drivers around us were amazingly patient, but probably exasperated with having to deal with another spaced-out tourist! It was embarassing trying to manipulate our car out of that awkward position, but not one driver honked a horn, or displayed any road rage. I was amazed - so different from the drivers in Canada. That kind of patience from drivers, having to deal with difficult and awkward situations, probably reduces accidents. Next time we drive in England, we'll be a little more experienced - I hope.

Flanneruk, I think you may be on to something. I think as a tourist, especially when driving on the side of the road I'm not accustomed to, I tend to be very focused. Not at all prone doing the sort of extra-curricular activited I may be tempted with, say on my morning route to work.

Also, I think that it's helped immensely that as that tourist, I'm rarely driving alone. Backseat driving has been in this case very useful when my wife has reminded me which side of the road to turn onto at an intersection (my usual point of memory lapse). From reading these boards, it would appear that solo travelers are much more likely to stick with trains/bus.

We'll test this theory in a couple of weeks, as my wife stays behind in Melbourne and I test my skills for a few solo days driving through the wilder areas of Tasmania. To any Tasmanians reading - I apologize in advance.

Slovakia: a country noted by an abundance of passing where solid double lines on a 2-lane curve up a hill seems to indicate "passing encouraged", despite signs to the contrary. $3,500 later....thank you, insurance policy! Both expressways are safe, though.

On the other hand, Flanneruk, the vast majority of accidents I have witnessed in the Dordogne have involved Brits who brought their cars over to France and either made turns into the wrong lane or went the wrong way around roundabouts - they're rather legendary for those sorts of antics in that part of France.