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>The speed is likely caused by tourists looking around and not paying attention I suspect it's Romanians, as they're really bad drivers. For example, in Romani

>The speed is likely caused by tourists looking around and not paying attention I suspect it's Romanians, as they're really bad drivers. For example, in Romania drivers will not stop at a crosswalk to let you pass unless you stare at them for a few seconds to make eye contact, and even then it depends on their mood and how hurried they are. They're basically a menace on the roads.

snowAbstraction 9y ago
Why would you suspect Romanians in particular in Iceland? Why not citizens from other European countries who as have relatively many road fatalities per capita? I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts and they are used to turning right on red, often in practice without a full stop. This is very dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.
- Tomis02 9y ago
  > Why not citizens from other European countries who as have relatively many road fatalities per capita? When it comes to pedestrian safety, the only EU country with a record that can match Romania's is Latvia, but it has a population that's 10 times smaller. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Road_accident_fatalities_-_statistics_by_type_of_vehicle#Pedestrians_particularly_at_risk_in_Baltic_countries_and_in_Romania http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/... > I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts and they are used to turning right on red Except the crossing in the article has nothing to do with roundabouts and turning, just stopping to give way to pedestrians, which is something Romanian drivers are very bad at. I'm speaking from experience.
  - falsedan 9y ago
    > When it comes to pedestrian safety, the only EU country with a record that can match Romania's is Latvia The roads in Latvia are OK, but they have (signal-controlled) pedestrian crossings on 60 mph highways… and uncontrolled ones on 40-50 mph.
- adventured 9y ago
  > I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts That's no longer a very accurate statement. The US has been on a roundabout building frenzy in the last ten years, particularly in the last five. We've gone from having a thousand roundabouts ten years ago, to having more than 15,000 now. To put it into contrast. Ten years ago the US had about 1 roundabout per 10,000 intersections. That's now down to somewhere around 1 per 600x. Germany is at 1 per 300 (France is at 1 per 45). The US will catch Germany in that roundabout ratio within the next ten years. It's a large traffic change for the US in such a short amount of time.
  - snowAbstraction 9y ago
    Thanks for the update. I didn't know that the change was happening so fast. I left the US about 10 years ago but when back in California and Minnesota during last years I barely saw any roundabouts. I don't remember seeing a single one combining active pedestrian and bike traffic. But perhaps other states are different.
madeofpalk 9y ago
Considering the majority of tourists (from my observation) in Iceland are American, I’m not really sure why you bring up Romanians.
- Tomis02 9y ago
  Who said anything about tourists? It can also be economic migrants. I bring up Romanians because they have a very particular disability - they find it really difficult to stop at pedestrian crossings, even when people are obviously about to cross the street.
  - falsedan 9y ago
    Just flat-out racist…
    - Tomis02 9y ago
      I'm a Romanian citizen but sure, I must be racist. By the way, can you tell me what race Romanians are, exactly?
      - falsedan 9y ago
        > By the way, can you tell me what race Romanians are, exactly? No I can't, but surely you know? The racism is extrapolating some behaviour to all members of a ethnic/racial group. Simply say 'some Romanian drivers…', or 'everyone in Bucharest…' or "I've seen a lot of driver who…".
        Tomis02 9y ago
        Romanians aren't a race, they're barely an ethnic group. That said, if I state a fact ("Romanian driving culture is terrible"), does that make me racist? There are exceptions (there are two Romanian drivers who drive safely), but for all intents and purposes that's irelevant. And not only do I speak after having seen the exact state of Romanian driving culture (I've been rear-ended and had other near-accidents just for stopping at a crossing), but the statistics confirm what I'm saying. If you feel I'm wrong, please go to Romania and use the street crossings without stopping to check for cars, we'll talk afterwards. You might notive the sense of entitlement Romanian drivers have ("the road belongs to me, it's my right to allow or disallow a pedestrian to cross, they need to check the road before crossing, I don't have to slow down").

snowAbstraction 9y ago

Why would you suspect Romanians in particular in Iceland? Why not citizens from other European countries who as have relatively many road fatalities per capita? I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts and they are used to turning right on red, often in practice without a full stop. This is very dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.

Tomis02 9y ago
> Why not citizens from other European countries who as have relatively many road fatalities per capita? When it comes to pedestrian safety, the only EU country with a record that can match Romania's is Latvia, but it has a population that's 10 times smaller. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Road_accident_fatalities_-_statistics_by_type_of_vehicle#Pedestrians_particularly_at_risk_in_Baltic_countries_and_in_Romania http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/... > I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts and they are used to turning right on red Except the crossing in the article has nothing to do with roundabouts and turning, just stopping to give way to pedestrians, which is something Romanian drivers are very bad at. I'm speaking from experience.
- falsedan 9y ago
  > When it comes to pedestrian safety, the only EU country with a record that can match Romania's is Latvia The roads in Latvia are OK, but they have (signal-controlled) pedestrian crossings on 60 mph highways… and uncontrolled ones on 40-50 mph.
adventured 9y ago
> I am usually most worried about Americans since many have little experience with roundabouts That's no longer a very accurate statement. The US has been on a roundabout building frenzy in the last ten years, particularly in the last five. We've gone from having a thousand roundabouts ten years ago, to having more than 15,000 now. To put it into contrast. Ten years ago the US had about 1 roundabout per 10,000 intersections. That's now down to somewhere around 1 per 600x. Germany is at 1 per 300 (France is at 1 per 45). The US will catch Germany in that roundabout ratio within the next ten years. It's a large traffic change for the US in such a short amount of time.
- snowAbstraction 9y ago
  Thanks for the update. I didn't know that the change was happening so fast. I left the US about 10 years ago but when back in California and Minnesota during last years I barely saw any roundabouts. I don't remember seeing a single one combining active pedestrian and bike traffic. But perhaps other states are different.

madeofpalk 9y ago

Considering the majority of tourists (from my observation) in Iceland are American, I’m not really sure why you bring up Romanians.

Tomis02 9y ago
Who said anything about tourists? It can also be economic migrants. I bring up Romanians because they have a very particular disability - they find it really difficult to stop at pedestrian crossings, even when people are obviously about to cross the street.
- falsedan 9y ago
  Just flat-out racist…
  - Tomis02 9y ago
    I'm a Romanian citizen but sure, I must be racist. By the way, can you tell me what race Romanians are, exactly?
    - falsedan 9y ago
      > By the way, can you tell me what race Romanians are, exactly? No I can't, but surely you know? The racism is extrapolating some behaviour to all members of a ethnic/racial group. Simply say 'some Romanian drivers…', or 'everyone in Bucharest…' or "I've seen a lot of driver who…".
      - Tomis02 9y ago
        Romanians aren't a race, they're barely an ethnic group. That said, if I state a fact ("Romanian driving culture is terrible"), does that make me racist? There are exceptions (there are two Romanian drivers who drive safely), but for all intents and purposes that's irelevant. And not only do I speak after having seen the exact state of Romanian driving culture (I've been rear-ended and had other near-accidents just for stopping at a crossing), but the statistics confirm what I'm saying. If you feel I'm wrong, please go to Romania and use the street crossings without stopping to check for cars, we'll talk afterwards. You might notive the sense of entitlement Romanian drivers have ("the road belongs to me, it's my right to allow or disallow a pedestrian to cross, they need to check the road before crossing, I don't have to slow down").