And you thought you were a Racerchick?

by Amanda Virtanen

September 2002

This year, I spent my summer holiday in beautiful Tuscany. Located about 30 kilometers north of Florence, I stayed in the town of Prato. The thing I was looking most forward to was witnessing the cars and their drivers. It was not a let-down. Just when I thought I could rightfully call myself a Racer Chick I was introduced to a new breed of driver: Europeans.

What types of cars were there?

I saw everything from SmartCars and Mini Coopers to Ferrari's and even one candy apple colored Vette. For the most part, Italy is full of compact economy vehicles because of the tiny streets and expense of fuel in Europe. My personal favorite was the Mercedes A-Class (in particular the A 210 Evolution). A combination of excellent fuel consumption, 17 inch tires and a top speed of 203 kilometers and hour make it a wicked and fun little machine to drive. It has all the interior comforts that Mercedes is known for while maintaining a tiny exterior and classy look. I don't understand why this vehicle hasn't been introduced in North America as of yet, as it would definitely be a tough competitor of the Volkswagen Beetle and Mini Cooper.

Motorcycles and scooters were also prevalent in all the towns in Italy. Not only are they easy to get around on - there are very few places to park a car (even a small one) in most shopping districts, making these types of vehicles ideal. Not to mention that gas prices seemed to vary around $4.50 (Canadian) per liter.

The air in Italy, even in Rome seemed so much fresher than in my Canadian home, Toronto. I believe this is in part due to the heavy presence of the economy car in Europe. With our ever increasing population, gas prices and traffic problems on the rise, I think that we should look at European automotive styles and learn by example.

What can we learn from European traffic patterns?

On my way to work, I sit at several traffic lights - both in the suburbs and downtown. It wasn't until this trip that I discovered how useless they actually are in most locations and how time-consuming they actually are. 30% of my travel time is spent sitting waiting for a green light. How many times have you sat at a traffic light with no one coming in the other direction for what seemed like an eternity? There are very few traffic lights in Italy. Their intersections are almost all designed using the roundabout. Although these seemed like a pain at first, upon careful evaluation, I've discovered that the roundabout idea actually moves traffic much more quickly and efficiently. It allows those who are in a hurry to keep up to speed and head in the right direction, while those who are unsure of their whereabouts can continue through the loop, without affecting the other drivers. I believe that if Canada created roundabouts at major intersections (such as areas downtown) - our traffic jams in those areas would be massively decreased.

The other thing that I loved about Italian driving was the speed. I never saw a limit posted, however it seemed that on the highways, speeds varied from 120 - 180 km/hr. On the city streets, speeds were usually 60 - 80 km/hr (which is even scarier when you factor in the narrow cobblestone roads that are found in most towns). I suppose these speeds must have also contributed to the lack of a traffic problem.

Did I drive in Italy?

But of course! I hoped in my under-powered Nissan rental and sped about town. I wasn't a religious type until I found myself stuck on endless roundabouts chanting, "Please God, get me off this thing alive!"

What did I take home with me from this trip?

I left with an even more aggressive (but still safe) driving attitude, a respect (combined with slight fear) for European drivers and oh - and brand new Ferrari jacket that I just HAD to have.

Until next time, enjoy some fast, safe driving. Arrivederci!

Amanda Virtanen is a 23 year old Web Producer and an automotive enthusiast. She owns a jazzed-up 1999 Acura EL named Ellie.