Driving Key words – irrational, selfish, incapable Drivers in Kuwait are irrational - don’t assume anything and if you remember the advise from your driving instructor to assume everyone on the road is an irrational idiot - in Kuwait you won’t be far wrong. I have known people in Kuwait driving on a four-lane road to be hit from behind when no other traffic is within hundreds of meters (were they on auto-pilot or did they not actually look out of the window?). Drivers are also selfish – they do what they want when they want. Look, signal manoeuver – right? Not in Kuwait where you manoeuver, signal then look. If you have an accident you MUST stay with your vehicle and NOT move it no matter where you are or how effectively you are blocking off the whole of the Fahaheel Expressway in rush hour. The police will be along in no time and they need to see where the vehicles are to determine who caused the accident so if you move you may be considered to have been trying to hide something. Don’t admit fault nor discuss things with the other driver(s). The most useful thing to carry in your car in Kuwait (after water and your mobile phone) is a newspaper or a book to read. The incomprehensible rotation system that has been set up for the traffic lights at most road junctions make the odd 5 minute wait typical rather than the norm. As you may have to wait several light changes to get across that junction then you need something to read as the radio is crap. Music also helps. You my see people go through on red after the lights have changed but are they blind or do they have a death wish? Maybe but they probably also know how long it takes for these lights to change back to green hence before you go through a set of newly turned green lights, double check that there is no manic hurtling through the lights from one side of you – it might save your life. Saudi Arabia probably has the right idea about driving, i.e. not letting women drive at all. The roads in Kuwait would be a lot safer if women were not permitted because in particular, Kuwaiti women are atrocious drivers. Not having the first concept about what a car is, how big it is, etc, they have no idea and don’t appear to care whether they inconvenience anyone else on the road. Maybe it is because they only have driving as a way of doing something rebellious or that “this is my country and I’ll do what I want” but then you have the head cloth called the burqa that they often wear (illegal apparently) which really restricts the vision. As you might imagine, trying to look over your shoulder with a scarf or other cloth over you head would hamper your ability to see what is in your blind spot so the answer is not to bother looking. If I was driving a ten-ton truck then I’d not be too concerned about what is behind me but a small car is not quite the same. However, some believe if a woman looks over her shoulder, she might look into the eyes of a man not her family which is against her religion so she won’t look. Simply put – don’t expect Kuwaiti women to care if anyone else is on the road or if they inconvenience anyone else on the road. Drivers in Kuwait are incapable of judging speeds properly – they will manoeuver and pull out into oncoming traffic because they cannot see that the speed of the oncoming car is going to cause them and the other driver a problem. Accidents are all about responsibility and as in most places, if you hit someone from behind it is you fault. Having said that, the rules for roundabouts in Kuwait are round about when it comes to logic but they need to be appreciated. If in an accident while maneuvering on a roundabout, the vehicle coming off the roundabout is in the right even if it is the car on the outside that gets hit in the back so think this one through and remember it. This should help to explain why so many cars appear to zip to the inside lane even if not going all around the roundabout. You can tell drivers by their speed and behavior on the road:- Kuwaitis often drive like the wind and expect you to move over irrespective of the traffic conditions, i.e. you are boxed in and have no where to go. Asians drive more slowly and well within the speed limits because they know the police will blame them given any reason at all. Westerners drive as they would in the west – they get pissed off with idiots on the road whether they drive fast or slow and they don’t necessarily move over if flashed by the Kuwaiti behind them. However something to watch is the western expat what has gone bush and drives like the majority here which can be seen when they blindly move out into the three lane highway without a look or a care. I startled one such driver early one morning and didn’t they get a shock when the horn sounded loudly in their blind spot. Did they not like it? Judging by the subsequent hand signals, the answer was no. Driving in the outside lane and to hell with you - the roads in Kuwait are democratic insomuch as all lanes have equal importance. There is no fast or slow lane and over taking is the same as under taking. Please look both sides when you consider changing lane as you are as likely to have someone roar up your inside as the outside. You know you are back in Kuwait after a trip or vacation when you see the latest crash dumped at the side of the road. In no other country am I aware which includes Iran and Egypt do people have such a disregard while driving and an inability to get from A to B without an accident. You wonder why there are no Kuwaiti racing drivers who are successful on the world stage but then again….. You can tell that Kuwait does not appreciate insurance – look at the number of vehicles sidelined with flat tires – why would you carry a useable spare tire if you don’t have a flat tire (now)? If someone you meet drives a pa-jer-o then most likely they are what they drive whereas if they drive a pa-ker-o then they at least have some knowledge of the language in question even if they don’t know what a pajero is. To be proud of owning a pajero is really sad. Time to sell it I think.... home