Driving in Italy is an experience in itself. And surviving the Italian roads could make you particularly good cocktail party conversationalist. Driving in Italy is above all a peculiar getting-used-to:

Bends. Watch out: if Italians bend to the right, at first cut the bend to the left and then close to the right. And vice versa!

Driving on narrow roads. On narrow roads most Italians drive in the middle of the road, more often than not they invade the opposite lane. If you want to understand this you have to keep in mind a typical Italian point of view: the utter disregard of others’ rights. I think indeed that this utter disregard of others’ rights has its source in the extreme Italian individualism. The point of view of an individual goes so far as to substitute the law with its own needs: Italians tend to take care of themselves (and their immediate family) first and foremost.

I have to say that, because of the decline of good manners in the last two decades, what was individualism has become menefreghismo (“I don’t carism” – often signalled with the back of the fingers thrown forward from the throat to the chin): utter disregard for the civic responsibility and community. Two of the most popular categorical imperatives in Italy are indeed “Me ne frego!” (“I don’t give a damn!”) e “ Fatti furbo!” (“Get smart!”).

Have a look in the bars. In many of them there are signs saying “No smoking”. What do Italians do?

They smoke nevertheless!!

Wild parking. The s treet has become a private fact. You can park everywhere you like. You can double-park, even triple-park!

While driving, you might think it is Christmas time, because you can see parked cars along the streets continuously flashing, with the hazard lights on.

Everywhere is a perpetual flashing.

You are in the car. You see a friend of yours. What do you do? You stop the car of course. You switch the hazards on  (sometimes not even these!) and you start chatting, as if the most natural thing in the world. And if, by chance, a bloke right behind you is blowing his horn impatiently full of anger: Why? What the hell does he want? How dare he disturb us?

Driving on the motorway. G enerally everyone, fast and slow drivers, tends to wander into the left hand lane (the fast lane) on the motorway. And obviously you might think that you have to do the same. I have to warn you: suddenly, a rapidly approaching car appears in your rear-view at impressive speed, wildly flashing you with the headlights, until he's only inches from your rear bumper. This diabolic driver will not get off your bumper. What for? And why? What does one in this awkward situation do? It's easy - get the hell out of the way! What are you waiting for?!
Watch out, the most diabolical drivers if you don’t give the right-of-way immediately, overtake you on the right hand, slow, lane. He has no time to wait. He lives-always-directing himself towards something.Towards what even he doesn’t know. To be fair, only the most diabolical and hectic drivers do that. Common people tailgate your rear bumper till you “go to hell” bending to the right.