‘Sir, better to be closing eyes’: My terrifying car rides overseas

November 24, 2025 — 5:00am

“Sir, better to be closing eyes.”

That’s my driver talking. I’m in the front seat of a four-wheel drive heading down away from the Indian hill station of Darjeeling. It’s been pouring with rain since we started and only one windscreen wiper is working. On my side, not his. Every now and again he will roll down his window, reach out and make a few sweeps of the windscreen with a sodden rag. This does nothing to improve his vision, but luckily the road doesn’t run straight for more than about 50 metres and it’s busy and so our speed is slow.

Travel exposes you to a different set of road rules, particularly in the developing countries. From Australia, where speed limits, lane markings and merging conventions are more or less obeyed and vehicles tend to drive in one direction depending on whether they’re on the left or right side of the road, you might find yourself in a country where vehicles overtake on blind corners and even drive into oncoming traffic, where lane markings are notional and where drivers refuse to turn on their headlights until darkness falls since that consumes battery power.

In March I had to drive from Cairo to Siwa Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert, about 750 kilometres. I was picked up early in the morning by a couple of youths driving a van that had seen much better days. The road north of Cairo is several lanes wide, traffic was subdued and they wasted no time.

From the back seat I would glance at the speedometer from time to time and we were nudging 160 km/h. On the coast road past Alexandria my driver passed a friend. This was a cause for some celebration. We edged closer and there was a hearty exchange of greetings that went on for several minutes. We then fell in behind them and I swear we were never more than five metres from their rear end. Occasionally, passengers in the other car would wave to us from the back seat. This continued for perhaps 50 kilometres until they peeled off. I arrived in Siwa Oasis barely eight hours after leaving Cairo, and that included a stop for lunch, a couple of toilet stops and a change of drivers.

One of my most dramatic drives happened in Romania. I was late leaving Bucharest and darkness fell as I began the climb into the wooded peaks of the sub-Carpathians. The traffic consisted of two contrasting streams. Coming down the mountainside were convoys of semi-trailers headed for Turkey. On my side of the road were wagons loaded with tree trunks, each with a team of straining horses at the front lashed on by a driver in a tall fur hat. Some wagons were lit from behind by small, fiery cauldrons spewing black smoke, but more often they were all but invisible in the murk until I braked hard behind the pale spears of timber.

Ten (unofficial) rules for driving in developing countries

The largest vehicle has right of way. A car has priority over a bicycle, scooter or a tuk-tuk, but a bus or a truck trumps a car. A police car with flashing lights is a gift from the traffic gods. Latch onto its rear end and sail past your fellow motorists.

The rear vision mirror only exists to check your hair and to keep an eye on rear-seat passengers. The same applies to side mirrors. Any vehicle behind you is irrelevant. What matters is only what is in front. The same applies to vehicles alongside, and therefore peripheral vision is of no use.

If you reach a multi-lane, divided road and if your destination is a short distance away but contrary to the traffic flow, it is permissible to drive against the traffic.

Tailgating is normal. Whether you are caught in city traffic or driving at 120 km/h, if you can see the bumper bar of the car in front you are too far away. Close the gap lest others squeeze in.

Signalling is ambiguous. If you’re following a truck and the outside light is flashing, it probably indicates that it is now safe to overtake. On the other hand, it might indicate that the truck is about to turn.

When a truck suffers a breakdown, the driver will often build a small rock cairn near his offside wheel to prevent vehicles from running into his stationary vehicle. It is the duty of the truck driver to build the cairn but not to remove it. When the vehicle finally moves off, it becomes a hazard for every passing vehicle.

In fog, do not slow down and do not activate rear warning lights. Slow down in fog and you are likely to be rear-ended by another vehicle. Speeding up is safer.

At a pedestrian crossing, do not stop if you see someone waiting to cross. Only slow down if the pedestrian is a woman with small children or an elderly person.

Lane markings are advisory only, there is no obligation to stay in one lane. The same applies to a hard shoulder. Use it if it will expedite your journey.

In India, use your horn at every opportunity. When stopped at traffic lights, when another vehicle wants to pass you, when you want to pass another vehicle, when you are driving on an empty road. Trucks often have “Horn please” painted on their sterns to encourage honking.

Some genuine tips for driving and riding in developing countries

Hire a local driver if possible
Local drivers understand the unwritten rules, road etiquette and hazards. Since they speak the language they can more easily deal with police checks and bureaucracy, which can create major problems for foreign drivers. Chances are a car plus driver will only cost slightly more than a vehicle you drive yourself.

Make sure your vehicle is suitable for local conditions
A functioning air conditioner/heater, good tyres and a spare, windscreen wipers and working lights are non-negotiable. You might need a 4WD if conditions require it.

Don’t be afraid to take control
If you’re with a driver, you are in command. If they’re driving too fast, too slow, if the music or the temperature isn’t to your liking, let them know.

If you’re behind the wheel, drive defensively
Anticipate mistakes from others. Until you’re confident, treat every intersection, bend and overtaking situation as a potential hazard. Regardless of how the local drivers behave, don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home.

As far as possible, avoid night driving
Poor lighting, unlit vehicles and lack of signage increase risk. The same applies to bad weather. Local drivers might continue to drive at unsafe speed in fog or heavy rain, don t be tempted to do the same. As the signs say in India, “Better to be late Mr Driver than the late Mr Driver.“

Which are the most dangerous countries to travel by road?

According to the fifth Global Status Report on Road Safety from the World Health Organization released in 2023, Guinea was named the world’s most dangerous country to drive in.

Top 10 countries for the number of road traffic deaths per 100,000 population:

1. Guinea
2. Libya
3. Haiti
4. Guinea-Bissau
5. Zimbabwe
6. Syria
7. Yemen
8. Comoros
9. Nepal
10. Kenya

Top 10 countries with the lowest number of road traffic deaths per 100,000 population:

1. Maldives
2. Norway
3. Singapore
4. Malta
5. Sweden
6. Denmark
7. UK
8. Switzerland
9. Iceland
10. Japan

The first European country to appear on the list of most dangerous countries is Albania, coming in at number 100. Australia appears at 150th on the list, and that’s reassuring. I’m in Morocco right now, which comes in at 43rd on the league tables. That’s not a great number, but tomorrow I’ll be heading into the desert in a four-wheel drive with a Berber driver. Off piste, zero chance of rain.

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