Page 47 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

To drive in Sicily, you need a valid driving licence and, if you are a non-EU licence
holder, an international driving permit. It’s compulsory to carry your car documents
and passport while you’re driving, and you’ll be required to present them if you’re
stopped by the police – not an uncommon occurrence. You are also required to carry a
triangular danger sign, which will be provided with rental cars. Many car insurance
policies cover taking your own car to Italy; check with your insurer when planning

your trip (you’ll need an international green card of insurance). You’d also be advised
to take out extra cover for motoring assistance in case you break down, and motoring
organizations like the RAC ( rac.co.uk) or the AA ( theaa.co.uk) can help.
Alternatively, by dialling 116 you can get 24-hour assistance from the Automobile
Club d’Italia ( aci.it).

THE SICILIAN DRIVING EXPERIENCE

If all you had to do was drive on Sicilian motorways – light traffic, fast travel,
dramatic scenery – things would be fine. Unfortunately, you have to come off them

sooner or later and drive into a town, and then all bets are off. The good news is that
the swirling town traffic isn’t as horrific as it first looks – the secret is to make it
very clear what you’re going to do, using your horn as much as your indicators and
brakes. There are established rules of the road in force, though Sicilians, needless to
say, ignore most, if not all, of them as a matter of principle. A character in Andrea
Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano novels drives “like a dog on drugs”, which is a

pretty fair assessment of local driving skills, and if you go your entire holiday
without being cut up on the inside, jumped at a junction or overtaken on a blind bend,
you’ll have done well.

You’ll switch your satnav off the first time you encounter a Sicilian one-way
system – installed by traffic engineers with a sense of humour – which lead you into
old-town areas where the streets grow ever narrower until the point that you can’t

back out or turn round. It usually works out fine if you rigidly follow the one-way
signs, though matters aren’t helped by it being accepted local parking practice
simply to drive your car up on the pavement, or stop where it’s most convenient for
the driver – this can include the middle of the street, or pausing for a chat with a

mate at a major road junction. Out in the countryside it’s generally less of a hassle,
though you do have to allow for shepherds and their sheep (and there aren’t many
places in Europe you can still say that about) idling around the next bend.

Pedestrians, meanwhile, deal with the general mayhem by taking a deep breath,
staring straight at the drivers and strolling boldly across the road. If in doubt, follow
someone old and infirm, or put out your hand policeman-like, but never assume that
you’re safe on a pedestrian crossing – they’re regarded by most drivers as an