CAR HIRE IN SOUTHERN EUROPE

The warm climes of Southern Europe are famously assosciated with a hot-blooded Latin temperamnet. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the roads. Mediterranean drivers are fast, eager to seize the slightest chance to move their way up the traffic flow and take an unashamed sense of fun in their driving.

The downside of a driving culture which relies on speed and swift reactions is that when something goes wrong, drivers often haven't left themselves enough space to get out of trouble. Accident rates are two to three times higher in Southern Europe compared with the North.

Few British motorists drive their own cars as far as southern Spain or Greece, but many of us hire cars there. Holidays may be all about relaxing, but always remember that being in charge of a motor vehicle is a serious business wherever you are. Never drop your safety standards just because you are in a carfree atmosphere away from home: don't drink and drive, always wear a seatbelt and obey traffic regulations, whatever local drivers may appear to do.