My Driving Experience in Korea

On a recent trip to Korea I decided that, in an attempt to maintain my independence, I would hire a car. Driving in a foreign country is always an interesting experience, but driving in Korea really stretched my skills to the limit. It not only tested my driving skills, but also my skills of observation and the extent of my patience. Despite this, I have to say that it added significantly to my experience and I would urge people visiting not to perceive this blog as a deterrent to driving in Korea, more as a preparation aid.

The first thing that came to my attention when driving around Korea was the speed at which cars would wizz around in congested areas. At first it seemed that this was a blatant disrespect for others using the road, but I must admit that although this may well be the case, it certainly hurried the traffic along. What was more concerning was the apparent lack of concern on behalf of the pedestrians. Apparently, whatever was putting people in such a rush was much more important than their safety.

Of immediate apparence when driving a car around Korea is that the rules of the road back home do not apply here, or at least they are not followed as vigorously. Tailgaiting was common, it angered other people when I slowed down as lights began to change and seatbelts are by no means on the top of people’s priority list. I have to say though, the adventures of the road certainly added an extra edge to my visit.....but perhaps that’s just me.

Another place for a crazy driving experience as a tourist is to go driving in Rome, Italy. Korea and Italy from my own experience, seem to offer locations with two of the craziest sets of drivers.