Rome: a driver's nightmare

So back from Rome and still in shock about the standards of driving and road safety generally. In short, it’s as bad as I’ve seen anywhere. I’m not sure about the rest of Italy, but the capital is a nightmare as a motorist or a pedestrian. I asked our cabbie how long the ride from airport to hotel was going to take. He answered 30 minutes. He was right, but it should have taken 45. It was only half an hour because he drove like a complete twat. Far too fast on every type of road, weaving all over the place, jumping red lights, pulling in and out inches from other traffic – a full tick-list of idiocy. If the skill of a driver is judged by the way he or she makes their passengers feel, he was off the scale. I had nail marks on the back of my hand where my wife had dug in for survival. Consequently life as a pedestrian can be challenging. Zebra crossings are meaningless – don’t expect anyone to stop for you – and the little green man at traffic lights doesn’t mean cars will actually give way to you. You are literally taking your life in your hands. Apart from that we had a great time. Amazing city.