Bad - That's what the drivers are around here. If the published accident statistics and insurance rates don't convince you then just drive here for a week and see for yourself. Galicians lack the experience, training and temperament to drive safely. Those lucky enough to survive may gain experience but will still lack the training and temperament they need to drive in public.

Poorly Trained - To get a driving license here you first have to attend a commercial driving school. After that, you take a government-administered written test with 40 questions on it. You're only allowed 4 incorrect answers. Then you take a brief driving test. If you pass both tests then you get your license.

Unfortunately, the driver training and the driving tests aren't effective. The commercial driving schools "teach the test", emphasizing how to avoid the pitfalls of the driving exam. Most of a student's time behind the wheel is spent repeatedly going over the several routes used by the examiners during the tests.

Inexperienced - Some older Galicians obtained their licenses when neither traffic nor license tests were very demanding. Now they go into towns that have narrow streets and way too many cars but they drive as if they're out in the boondocks in the only car around for miles. On the country highways - two lane blacktops - they tootle along at 30-40 MPH, which may seem fast to them, compared to their previous means of transportation.

Young drivers get off to a bad start with poor training and many of them don't have the benefit of competent older drivers to help them learn how to behave in traffic. Then, they compound the problem by driving way too fast for their abilities, the traffic and the road conditions. Many don't last very long. (See the statistics at the bottom of this page.)