Driving is Insane in Saudi Arabia

Eight months in, and I got in my first car accident in Saudi Arabia. FINALLY. Gosh, I though it was never going to happen. I kept asking myself, "what is wrong with me? Am I that unattractive that no one in this entire country is going to violently smash their vehicle into mine?

I've mentioned it before, but I figure now is good time to devote an entry to driving in Saudi Arabia. It's insane. The infrastructure is screwy, the drivers think they're formula one hopefuls, gas is literally cheaper than water, and the cops are ambivalent. Small wonder it's often  harder to spot a vehicle that doesn't have obvious body damage than one that does.

The accident my roommate and I were in, as you can see, was relatively minor. Perhaps in describing it, I can give some insight into a typical driving experience here. Context: there are no stop signs, nor are their dividing lines painted on the road. So. We were just arriving home. My roommate, Erron was driving. He banked slightly right, before he turned left into the parking spot, so he could park straight. While he was banking right, a truck ran straight through the four-way, tried to pass us on the left, so he hit us as we were turning.

When the cop came to the scene, he was as relaxed as a sloth in a tree. While he listened to both Erron and the other driver tell their accounts, he didn't seem particularly interested in either.  In fact, he didn't even step out of his vechicle to take a proper look at the accident, let alone take pictures. All the while, cars were passing the accident on the left and the right, which didn't seem to bother the policeman at all. He seemingly arbitrary surmised that the it was twenty-five per cent Erron's fault and seventy-five percent the other driver's fault.

I hope this gets sorted out soon, so we can get another rental...but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed. 


As reckless as the drivers are here, it's a wonder that there aren't more accidents. Last night, I saw a kid in a smashed-up car blaze down the street toward Rabigh's busiest intersection, pull up obliquely in front of first cars in line waiting for the red to change, and then run the light. I wish this were atypical--but it's not. And dimes to dollars no one wrote down his license plate number or called the police.
 
The problem lies not only with poor driving habits, but also with the poor infrastructure. If there were a stop sign in place, maybe just maybe that guy would have at least slowed down and avoided hitting us. It should be tougher to get a license. But even if it were harder, this is Saudi Arabia, and if you have wasta (influence), or know someone with wasta, you can get around just about anything. Cops need to start giving more tickets--they clearly don't do this enough. I think part of the reason why, is that if they stop a Saudi, they will argue with them...and if they have wasta, they may even threaten them!

Proper infrastructure should be put it place. It would help...although it would still be dangerous. People here drive like absolute maniacs. Why? Maybe because it's the only fun thing you're allowed to do here. Especially for young men. Back home, kids would have other outlets. They could go to rock concerts, go out with girls, go see a movie or go compete in a sporting event. (You're allowed to do sports here, it's just too hot and there isn't much interest). But here there is nothing. So kids get in their cars, and they go "drifting", which means they drive so bloody fast that the tires are barely touching the road.

This means that people die. Every trimester one of the trainees is either seriously injured or dies in an auto accident. Every one of my trainees knows someone who has died in an auto accident. Last trimester, two of out instructors got into a serious auto accident because a Saudi was driving recklessly. The instructor who was driving was not wearing a seat belt, and he was thrown through the window. The other shattered his right leg, and had to crawl out of the burning wreckage. He came quite close to dying after contracting pneumonia as a result of third-rate medical treatment.  

Of course, the terrible road planning doesn't help. Sometimes you have to make some inconvenient detours in able to turn around and get to where you want to go. This results in people driving on the wrong side of the street. The traffic lights are terrible: they are often placed several feet before the intersection, so drivers can't see the lights turn, and often they just guess. Also. there isn't any paint on the road to speak of--rarely do you come across a four-way stop, there are few zebra crossings, and not often there aren't even lines in the middle of the road. So, people often act like the rules that those marking as are there to remind us of don't exist! People drive in the middle of the road, they go through four ways without stopping. God help you if you're a pedestrian walking across the street if there's a car coming.

So, yeah. The driving here is insane. If you've never been to these parts before, and decide to drive. Please exercise caution!