Crazy Drivers

[Travis]

Is there any place in the Philippines where people drive normal? This place has the most wako drivers that I have ever seen in one place. :rolleyes:

[til]

I don't think they drive crazy or bad at all. It's just a bit ...eh... different.Especially if your from US I guess, where people drive extremly defensive and over cautious in my view.But go to southern Europe (especially Greece) and you'll be quite close to the Filipino driving style.The worst driving I witnessed in the Phils was by a swiss expat who tried to adopt to the Filipino Style, but he missed an important detail: they do not drive aggressive, just a bit chaotic/creative. He mixed a lot of aggression into the style and the result was kind of frightening.

[tom_shor]

Despite the apparent chaos and lane lines just being a suggestion there are relatively few accidents. It is an interesting experience.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Despite the apparent chaos and lane lines just being a suggestion there are relatively few accidents. It is an interesting experience.

Even more interesting when I was a newbie thinking the traffic would stop for me at the Zebra crossings

[volstateguy]

The traffic in Cebu definitely takes some getting used to...but I think there is a method to the madness. And even tho it can look like total chaos it times I didn't see 1 traffic accident while I was there...as a matter of fact I didn't really even see evidence of accidents (banged up bumpers or fenders) on cars. I also didn't see the road rage I have seen in the states either.The worst traffic I have seen is anywhere has been in middle eastern countries..i.e. Kuwait, Saudi, and Qatar. Traffic there was insane. The craziest drivers I have seen are Korean cabbies. I can't count the times I thought I was going to die in a Korean cab...speeding back to base to make curfew, the cabbie doesn't slow down for anything, not even red lights and all the while he has a porno playing on the DVD player. The guys are crazy I tell you.

Edited February 24, 2009 by volstateguy

[Old55]

Traveler, have you ever driven between Houston and Galveston Texas? Volstateguy nailed it, what on the surface looks chaotic actually has its own rules.

[Mr Lee]

I have to say here that I think Filipinos are some of the best drivers that I have ever seen. They often give others the right of way and there is some method to the madness but I do not know what it is yet. They seem to communicate with other drivers by some means that works better than in the states and they must have the patience of saints because they never seem to get mad when others cut them off. In all the years that we have been coming back and forth and living in the Philippines, I have only seen a few fender benders and I have never seen a fatal accident. I did see one pretty bad hit near Macro, but again no one seemed to get hurt in that one either......but I have heard of a few fatal accidents where cars, trucks or buses drove off the mountains in Mindanao and I would guess that was due to poor maintenance on the vehicles and lack of brakes and not really the drivers faults....Cebu is pretty safe IMO.

Edited February 25, 2009 by Mr. Lee

[Travis]

I have to say here that I think Filipinos are some of the best drivers that I have ever seen. They often give others the right of way and there is some method to the madness but I do not know what it is yet. They seem to communicate with other drivers by some means that works better than in the states and they must have the patience of saints because they never seem to get mad when others cut them off. In all the years that we have been coming back and forth and living in the Philippines, I have only seen a few fender benders and I have never seen a fatal accident. I did see one pretty bad hit near Macro, but again no one seemed to get hurt in that one either......but I have heard of a few fatal accidents where cars, trucks or buses drove off the mountains in Mindanao and I would guess that was due to poor maintenance on the vehicles and lack of brakes and not really the drivers faults....Cebu is pretty safe IMO.

I am glad to hear that because I was thinking that I might not make it to live to 63 if I am here.

[tom_shor]

I have to say here that I think Filipinos are some of the best drivers that I have ever seen. They often give others the right of way and there is some method to the madness but I do not know what it is yet. They seem to communicate with other drivers by some means that works better than in the states and they must have the patience of saints because they never seem to get mad when others cut them off. In all the years that we have been coming back and forth and living in the Philippines, I have only seen a few fender benders and I have never seen a fatal accident. I did see one pretty bad hit near Macro, but again no one seemed to get hurt in that one either......but I have heard of a few fatal accidents where cars, trucks or buses drove off the mountains in Mindanao and I would guess that was due to poor maintenance on the vehicles and lack of brakes and not really the drivers faults....Cebu is pretty safe IMO.

I am glad to hear that because I was thinking that I might not make it to live to 63 if I am here.

They won't hit you on purpose. It will damage their car. :rolleyes: :wt-hell: :rolleyes:

[BobNChe]

Is there any place in the Philippines where people drive normal? This place has the most wako drivers that I have ever seen in one place. :1 (72):

All the places I've been in the Philippines had normal driving. Dictionary;"conforming to the standard or the common type"So I think that most people here drive normal, for the Philippines. So we as westerners don't have a monopoly on "normal" I think.