Shanorme

Has anyone else noticed the amount of people driving around whilst talking on their mobile phones? Had to take serious avoiding action twice in the last week alone because of this issue.

BillBullock

Yes but only for the past 18 years. They seem to get away with it in the Algarve because you seldom see police on the roads.

Dafty

Yes, what amazes me is people running around in 200,000€ vehicles but won,t invest in a 5€ hands free earphone !!
It,s like they get a buzz from breaking the law

firsteuro

Do most cars not have hands free or bluetooth built in now ?

MandyG

Yes, huge problem and nothing seems to be done about it - so frustrating....never mind plain dangerous!

Midgo

Its no more dangerous than facing your passenger during a conversation, which remains the norm here

Some other good ones:
Swinging out left (or right) to get space to turn right (or left) as if you are driving an articulated lorry towing a trailer, not a car
45 mph (or less, or randomly changing speed) in the middle lane of a motorway (empty or full, makes no difference)
Tailgating so close you can smell their breath
weaving in and out using all lanes to under/overtake (especially if on a bike)
Lots of Chico-espertos zooming past the patiently waiting traffic in the correct lane to cut in at the last minute as soon as anyone leaves the smallest gap, thereby meaning people at the back of the queue dont actually move forward.
Stopping on a roundabout to pick up and or drop off people
reversing back onto a roundabout (I nearly had to change my seat covers when this happened as I was leaving the roundabout)
Stopping in the most creatively dangerous place to talk on the phone (all fine though as the hazard lights may (or may not) be on)

And these are just the examples I have seen so far this week (its Monday)

Driving here is dangerous and hence stressful, just be extra, extra careful and always assume that any other road user could do something unbelievably stupid and dangerous at any time, which someone invariably does, and you should come through OK, maybe

Of course, the accidents rates are only high here because of the badly marked roads, as I am repeatedly and knowledgeably informed

Dafty

Another one to watch - British drive on the left, Europeans drive on the right - Portuguese drive in the shade !

Shanorme

There seems to be a magnet down the centre of the road here because everyone seems to drive in the middle and then look incredibly surprised at the car coming from the opposite direction.

Red Eric

They read somewhere that they have to tear down the dotted line.

Rambling archer

liveaboard

I don't like denigrating any nationality, but especially Portuguese in Portugal.
I've driven many vehicles in many countries on several continents.
My observation is that there are good and bad drivers everywhere.

Shanorme

I can't help observing the lack of police enforcement where mobile phone use is involved, especially after coming close to having a head on collision twice in one week. Came very close to ending up in the ditch both times too.

Midgo

The mechanic in the local garage told me yesterday that the police will concentrate on easy to prove things that they are certain to get the fine money from.
He also then launched into a spittle-flecked tirade about the state of the country - I learnt a lot of new Portuguese words

Oh, I forgot,
Indicating left entering a roundabout, irrespective of which exit you will take (because we are going round anticlockwise?) and then exiting still indicating left
Indicating after initiating the turn (to show we are turning and not veering randomly?)
NEVER indicating (Lisbon, indicator stalks docked at birth)

I wonder what percentage of the drivers on the road obtained their licences when bribing the tester was the norm here?

I loved my friends' faces on their first visit as we drove home from Lisbon airport - as white as their knuckles (which were deeply embedded in the dashboard)

chislenko

Must admit as someone who cycles circa 5000 miles a year and only drives about 1000 miles a year, as a cyclist I feel a lot safer when cycling in Portugal than in the UK.

ricko

I have also felt safer cycling in Portugal, but that may be due to searching for bike paths.

I have found zebra crossings to be a danger point for pedestrians.