Travelling overseas takes a certain degree of bravery, as you face navigating different cultures and languages.
But those who have experienced guardrail-free cliffside roads or law-ignoring city traffic know learning the way of the road in other countries takes an even bigger leap of faith.
A global survey of drivers by Scrap Car Comparison revealed which countries in particular were the most intimidating for foreign motorists.
Drivers were asked to rank how nervous they would be to get behind the wheel in each destination on a scale of one to 10, with one being ‘not nervous at all’, and 10 being ‘extremely nervous’.
Danger zone
With an average ‘scare score’ of 7.15, India took the top spot for most intimidating nation for drivers.
It was the only country to have an average score over seven.
Indian roads is notorious for being home to busy and unpredictable traffic conditions, with cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and even livestock all vying for space.
This combination has proven to be a deadly recipe.
A 2023 report from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) found the densely populated country held an 11 per cent share of global road crash fatalities.
India also reportedly experienced an average of 474 deaths daily to due to road accidents last year.
Driving fear
Venezuela and Zimbabwe rounded out the top three most intimidating countries to drive in; South American, African and Asian countries dominated the top 10.
Only four European countries made the top 25: Turkey, Hungary, Greece and Italy.
New Zealand rounded out the top 25 thanks to narrow country roads, common lack of guardrails in mountainous areas and in some areas, long stretches of road with few other cars or services, which could be a big risk in the event of a crash or breakdown.
The UK narrowly missed the top 25, ranking at No.26 with a 5.71 scare score, likely due to an abundance of roundabouts and one-way systems.
Australia ranked as one of the least nerve-racking countries for visiting drivers with a scare score of 4.60.
Preparation key to calming nerves
The top reason for road jitters was attributed to concerns over which side of the road to drive on, followed by dangerous driving of other motorists and fears of accidentally breaking local road rules.
RACV general manager motoring products Jeff Ames told TND preparation is key when considering driving overseas.
What to consider before driving overseas
The first step you should take if you are thinking about driving internationally is making sure you are a legally licensed driver.
Ames said while some countries may allow you to drive with just an Australian driver licence, others require an International Driving Permit (IDP), which is distributed locally by the Australian Automobile Association at a cost of about $50.
“An [IDP] is a United Nations-sanctioned translation of your Australian licence for driving, or riding a motorbike, in more than 150 countries,” he said.
“It’s important to note that an international driving permit is a sanctioned translation and not valid on its own. It needs to be accompanied by your current hard copy Australian driver licence photo card.”
Preparation tips
He said other things to consider before getting behind the wheel in another country include:
- Correct driving lane: Make sure you know which side of the road to drive on. Many countries, such as the US and Canada, drive on the right, as opposed to the left in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Malta
- Speed limits: Ensure you know how to read speed limit signs and familiarise yourself with any speed limit laws. For example, most city centres in France require a 30km/h speed limit
- Honking: Honking is expected and even polite in some places, but illegal and subject to fines outside of non-urgent situations in countries like Finland
- Headlights: Headlights must always be switched on in countries such as Sweden and Norway
- Luggage: Research whether you are required to carry anything with you in your car. For example, in Spain you must carry two red warning triangles and a reflective jacket
- Legal drinking limits: You should never drive drunk, but the legal limit varies around the world, and in some countries is zero
- Insurance coverage: If you’re hiring a car overseas, consider ensuring the deals includes full car hire insurance coverage, Read the fine print, note the excess amount and any exclusions.