Driving in Saudi Arabia

Before I start I want to make something absolutely clear:

People here do not know how to drive. Fullstop.

Whether its from lack of experience or just sheer incompetence (i'm assuming the latter), one thing is for sure. Men in KSA really suck at driving. And I know why.

As most of us know here in KSA, a man's driving education starts when he's about 10 years old. Yes you know what I mean. Thats the reason we sometimes see some brats zooming around in a old white pickup truck creating havoc and chaos wherever he goes. Hala Wallah my ass!

Of course the situation hardly changes when that boy grows a little older and finally becomes eligable for a driving license. The only difference is he's just a tad bit more interested in the opposite sex. And I think we're all well acquainted with the antics of hormonally charged teenagers and young men.

Now before he goes to the driving school theres a 98% chance that he's already taught himself how to drive. The problem is just that. He only knows how to drive the way he taught himself to drive. This behavior usually tends to trancend even after passing the test and finally getting the license. After all, the only reason we get the driving license is so that the cops at the checkpoints don't make trouble for us, right?

This is basically how i classify drivers in KSA:

-The speed freak. Believes the road is some kind of F1 racing circuit and must press the metal to the pedal in order to get the checkered flag and fullfill his dream of impressing females in any other passing vehicles. Tends to remember the brake pad AFTER he crashes.

-The tailgater. Likes to come up extremely close behind vehicles in front of him in order to coax the other car out of his way. Uses headlights, the car horn, or a combination of these to get the other car's attention. In other words is a complete nuisance.

-The headlighter. Similar to a tailgater. Uses a cars headlights in equal importance to the steering wheel, pedals and stick. In some cases it is used in greater importance! Likes to come up behind a vehicle and flash his car's headlights repeatedly in an attempt to make the vehicle give him way. Sometimes he does it when he's about a mile back, ya know just to warn any cars in front of him beforehand. (Isnt that just nice of him)

-The minor. Like I have mentioned before, the person behind the wheel is usually under the age of 13. Doesnt know how to drive properly but treats it like some new videogame for the PS2. Usually tends to create a mess wherever he goes, if not an accident.

-The blind driver. Forgets to look both ways before turning. He's the kind of carefree driver that really doesnt give a fuck. Just zoom right through an intersection or from a merged street without looking at who is coming from behind. After all, other drivers can take care of themselves right?

-The camel jockey. This guy likes to think he's still in the 14th century. So he rides his car like a camel or a horse going into battle. Swerving, speeding, crossing lanes, and generally just being extremely annoying. The really bad part is that he usually does this with family in tow. So not only is he endangering other drivers but his loved ones as well. Someone seriously needs to take his camel out for a graze.

The problem with driving schools in KSA is that they don't give drivers experience out on the road, just inside the training compound. So when these drivers are set loose they don't know exactly what to expect. You can teach them how to accelerate, turn, brake, park, and reverse but if there isnt any experience out on the highway and the streets then whats the point? Its no wonder that this country has such a high rate of traffic fatalities per year. Traffic accidents alone cost the kingdom an average of 2.4% of its GDP, compared to 1.8% in Kuwait, 1.6% in UAE, and 0.75% in the USA.

Isnt that just sad. What a total waste of resources.