Even when on holiday, one of the most perilous parts of travel is the dangers faced on the roads in other countries. The EU’s Transport Commission report says that more than 600 deaths and close to 7,000 accidents could be avoided annually, if Europe’s road were in a better condition. The EU’s new member states have the highest number of accidents due to old vehicles, poor road infrastructure and bad driving habits. In 2006, a total of 46,000 people were killed in accidents on European road – 2,000 less than in 2004.
Turkey is very popular amongst tourists. While local auto-assembly plants supply local car-rentals with small cylinder capacity vehicles, technical service is poor and vehicles are generally in very bad shape. Defective cars are quite common in Turkey, with the probability of brake malfunction being quite high. Cabs in Turkey are quite awful as well, with the cab drivers’ irresponsible driving manner and etiquette. This leads to multiple accidents every year. Annually, close to 3,000 people die on Turkish roads, and these are deemed to be the most dangerous in Europe.
The greatest accident rate in the European Union is registered in Greece. With a total of one million citizens, 180 people die on the road every year. Sixty percent of all accidents involve a bicycle or scooter, while two-wheeled transport is quite popular here. Children as young as fourteen are legally allowed to ride motor scooters.In Portugal, the situation is no better, with 326 fatalities per each million of Portugal citizens younger than 15 years of age, per year. EU safety specialists have introduced a new programme targeted at increased road safety in a bid to halve fatalities on European roads by 2010.
Take extra precautions when travelling through these countries, such as taking cabs instead of renting and driving, or walking short distances, or even look at air travel for medium distances you would normally drive. Better to be safer than sorry.