Top Killer of U.S. Travelers

[mike_s]

We've got someone on this Godzilla thing. It should be taken care of soon enough.


[youtubehq]3E4buHZObMc[/youtubehq]

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Scott was not the second poster.

I did open with my suggestion of "Buckle up" as well "stay off of scooters." There's certainly a lot more about automobile risks that not wearing safety belts, and there are experienced motorcycle operators who are probly much safer than than the typical tourist renter, altho I wonder how many of them fly with their own helmets?

The story mentioned that 40% or US traveler deaths happen in Mexico, and I suspect that's mostly because of the high ratio of Mexican trips & cruises.

Driving in Ireland, on the left, in the dark, after the pub closed was possibly my worst, but that can happen in the Bahamas pr even USVIs as well. At least when I drove in the Bahamas once they rented me a car with steering on the right side; I think they use US cars now. The did when I visited the USVIs once in '88; I aimed for the edge of the road.

Scott was the second poster in the thread that you started. I didn't count the originating thread starter as a post. Referring to Scot or Thal like that was just snarky and asking for argument.

Most tourists around the world do not rent motorcycles and scooters. That is usually only in tropical island areas. And then only for people who don't have baggage and such. The runabout group is not that large a population considering the world of travel.

I think the change of road side is big, but that is not the largest percentage group of countries with fatalities. Most US drivers are not used to the high rates of speed allowed and the aggressive driving tactics used. In Puerto Rico and Mexico, the drivers drive where, when, and how they want, and be damned with signs and rules of the road. That combines with poor roads and no knowledge of their surroundings makes for dangerous driving.

The speeds and merging get most of them. I regularly run at 95 - 100mph here. I am just in the flow of traffic. Then there are the ones flying by...Scares the new people silly. The autobann runs that fast and the drivers do not play with pokey tourists or the tourists who are trying to blend and not able to control that speed.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

And I thought is was CO exhaust from scooters.

Only in Cozumel...But they have sensors for that.

 

[knowone]

It's a canary with no sense of humour that's stopped singing.

 

[Eau_Girl]

Round-abouts....it's the round-abouts Americans need to watch out for! As an American living in Europe for the past 16 years, I can attest to the fact that most American drivers are baffled by them don't really know the local rules of how to navigate them!

Then the Midwestern suburb where my parents live went a replaced a bunch of stop signs with round-abouts......that's an afternoon's entertainment if you can get a safe viewing spot!

 

[Tanked]

It's a canary with no sense of humour that's stopped singing.

Do you need to be Australian to understand this?

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Round-abouts....it's the round-abouts Americans need to watch out for! As an American living in Europe for the past 16 years, I can attest to the fact that most American drivers are baffled by them don't really know the local rules of how to navigate them!

Then the Midwestern suburb where my parents live went a replaced a bunch of stop signs with round-abouts......that's an afternoon's entertainment if you can get a safe viewing spot!

I Completely agree! We are a country of round-abouts. It did take me a minute. We have two in particular, that even the natives call,"Suicide Circle" and "Lesser Suicide Circle."

People who visit usually hold on and clench through them. And I have watched the trapped in the circle kids.
I bet your parents place is a fun afternoon. Youtube.......ijs

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

Do you need to be Australian to understand this?

Herro prease.
The miners carrying the bird to find bad air pockets.......
I thought it was good.
Every scooter should have one attached on the back in Coz. Go old school.

 

[Tanked]

Herro prease.
The miners carrying the bird to find bad air pockets.......
I thought it was good.
Every scooter should have one attached on the back in Coz. Go old school.

Ah. Gotcha

 

[Gilldiver]

Well, I’m in Germany, France, Poland, Turkey, and India a lot lately and all I can say is that:

The Germans are the most discipline drivers I have ever seen, but they do drive fast. If you obey the lane conventions you will do fine.

The French are less so but not that much crazier then LA or NY on a hot day in traffic.

The Poles love to pass on narrow roads and oncoming traffic, you get used to it.

The Turks are crazy fast with “imaginative” traffic practices

The Indians - well I will never drive in India, hell it’s all I can do the cross the city streets on foot most of the time – think real life Frogger. India can’t be described only experienced. Also think of a scooter with a family of 5 on board, the 3 and 5 year olds are standing up in front of dad, dad is driving and mom is wearing a sari or Muslim chador robes side saddle on the back with the baby.