In Russia, traffic enforcement is all but non-existent with police corruption a way of life, insurance scams from drivers and pedestrians alike, road rage over any little thing that is perceived as a slight, plus drivers and pedestrians who do not follow the driving laws and you get total and complete chaos on the highways. A real life Mad Max of driving. The rule of thumb is to carry an extra 5000 rubles (about $200) to use as bribe money for the police because they can and do stop you for no reason at all. Out in the country, robberies of motorists at roadblocks are not unusual.
The roads are in bad condition with hardly any multi-lane divided highways outside of the major cities. The countryside is almost always 2 lane surface roads in various states of disrepair. Add winter conditions and alcohol and you have a recipe ripe for a country with one of the highest death rates per capita of any developed nation.
The biggest problem is pedestrians who WILLING jump out in front of vehicles to scam insurance companies. It is really amazing how many pedestrians will wait for a car or truck to come by that isn't paying attention and then jump out and roll over the hood! 9 times out of 10 after hitting the ground, they get up and walk away! Some don't make it because the driver gets out, runs them down on foot and then pummels senseless. All caught on dashcam.
Of the drivers, most are driving WAY in excess of safe speed, driving ALL OVER the road, left lane, right lane, creating lanes where there are none, and using the shoulder as not only one lane but two or three lanes! Ignoring traffic lights completely, cutting off other drivers, forcing themselves into lanes, you name it. I am starting to see videos about something called "suicide runs." This is a video where the driver is on a freeway type highway and driving as fast as possible, weaving in and out of traffic while not slowing down. The chances taken mean one wrong move and DEATH, hence the name, "suicide run."
You see many head on collisions with most avoidable. You see a car in the distance in their lane when for no apparent reason, they move over into the oncoming lane and sometimes the collision is unavoidable. Or you see a car in the right lane turning left across the left lane and a vehicle, traveling in the same direction, t-bones the turning vehicle. You see snow and ice on the road and instead of slowing down to adjust to conditions, people just keep driving at the normal speed and then, boom, they hit a patch and off the road or into the oncoming lane or up a tree or into a snow bank or out into a field or..... Just stupid stuff. But the most amazing head on I have seen dealt with a snob nose panel truck. It hits a semi head on, the panel truck slides to the left and the driver of the panel truck tumbles out of the broken out front window to land on his FEET! He shakes his head a little and then walks around the wreck of his truck looking at the damage!
Parking in the cities are a nightmare. You will see cars parked any and every place. There were laws enacted to stop the practice, but the public didn't like it and they continue to park where ever they want and because of the number of people doing it, the police don't even try to stop it anymore.
Drinking is also a serious problem. It is so bad, the government has put in some of the toughest laws against DUI, but the culture is such, it will take many years to get that even close to being under control.
If you go to Russia, it is well worth the expense to hire a car to take you. If you aren't a VERY expert driver, Russia is a death trap to the driver. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself.
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