A pedestrian in the West is always right. Even if the red light turns on while they are crossing the road, all four lanes of cars will wait for them, even though they seem to be allowed to go. In Ukraine, I note, in such a situation you may be squeezed, pressing the brakes, if you didn't manage to reach the curb when the saving green light went out... The problem is that our driver finds it psychologically difficult to readjust in old Europe: he habitually considers himself more important than the pedestrian even there! However, in the West, drivers are taught by written and unwritten rules to let pedestrians pass.
Almost all of my motorist friends living in large EU cities complain that getting to a destination by metro or public transport is usually faster than by car, fighting through numerous traffic jams. Moreover, parking accounts for the lion's share of time losses.
In Belgium, Germany, and Holland, all surface and underground parking lots are paid. An hour of parking costs 2 euros. Rarely cheaper. And if in Berlin, for example, you leave your car in a wrong place for an hour and walk away (if you stay, you might talk a pretty female controller out of fining you), upon return you will inevitably find a ticket stuck under the wipers. At best, you face a fine of 40 euros. Worse if your car is towed to the impound lot by the towing service, having put wheel clamps on the wheels. Then, to retrieve your 'swallow' (car), you will have to pay, in addition to a fine of a couple hundred euros, the daily idle time of the car (for a week this will be more than 500 euros). That's how things stand in Germany.
Things are not much better in the Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Denmark, Norway. Somewhat different in Italy: in this Southern European country - just like here in Ukraine - emotions and connections trump any laws.
Don't speed, or you'll pay! And you'll also cry, shedding tears, looking at the fine amount! In a number of Western European countries, photo flashes hang in 'secret' places. In case of exceeding the speed limit indicated by road signs, they photograph the culprit's car. And don't count on getting away with it! Having thrown away the fine ticket or forgotten about the click of the photo flash, don't rely on our notorious 'maybe'. This episode will not be erased from the police computer's memory. And another thing. You will receive a fine ticket along with a photo, on which your passenger's eyes will be covered with a black stripe, but the sex of the person with whom you exceeded the speed, your dear half will easily determine.
In Europe, police are particularly strict with those who chat on a mobile phone while driving, don't buckle up, and throw any garbage from the car window onto the autobahn, say, a cola can. For violation of environmental rules they fine especially heavily. Even in Eastern European countries such as Poland and Bulgaria, following the example of their Western neighbors, traffic rules are being brought up to the pan-European standard, incidentally, until recently differing little from ours.
So, for candidate countries for admission to the European Union, one of such requirements has appeared: if you are carrying a child with you, then there must be a special seat under his bottom. If you haven't brought one, hurry to do it in the first supermarket or at a gas station on the border.
In Berlin, Paris, and London, they severely fine for using the horn. Honking costs you dearly. So if some senile old lady is crossing the road with her disobedient lapdog even in the wrong place - be patient.
By the way, it's better not to enter London, but to go around it to avoid trouble, since the local mayor is conducting an experiment: he charges a fee for driving through the City. This will not only cost you a pretty penny (or rather, a few pounds, which are heavier than euros) but is also unlikely to save you from fines, because even British motorists cannot keep up with all the innovations...
The first thing our person does when encountering their policeman is to take out (or at least try to) a banknote. Our domestic traffic police have taught us that a traffic cop sees any driver primarily as a potential source of income. A policeman in the West can put you in prison for attempting to bribe him. And most importantly - don't argue with the guardian of order. Remember - the amount of your fine is directly proportional to the duration of the discussion.
It's better not to go anywhere at all without insurance. Especially considering that cars are often stolen. In any European country they will issue you an insurance policy. You can also do it in Ukraine, but with great caution. First of all, you should check whether the insurer has a license, whether it is expired, and whether its insurance policy is valid for travel to the countries you have chosen for your trip.
Traffic accidents happen everywhere. In Europe, naturally, too. Last year, on European highways, an average of more than 100 (!) people died daily, almost 4,000 received injuries and wounds of varying severity. And this is despite excellent roads. It's better not to drink even beer if you are driving. At least in the countries where the Schengen Agreement is in force. Here, the permitted degree of intoxication while driving is 0.5 promille. But it's better not to risk it and abstain even from low-alcohol drinks, because in the event of an accident or traffic violation, the slightest intoxication will be an aggravating circumstance! I'll also remind you that 0.5 liters of good German or Obolon beer just contains those 0.5 promille...
In the West, the driver's first friend and helper is the policeman. If you get lost, boldly go to a traffic controller or to the nearest police station.
Be careful: everywhere on the highway there are signs for diners, gas stations, campsites, overnight accommodations, rest areas. And although after Poland or the Czech Republic you can breathe a sigh of relief in more civilized countries of Europe, don't relax and don't forget: cars are stolen here too, wallets and things are pilfered.
But overall, the 'leaden abominations' of life should not overshadow your journey. In order to avoid all the misfortunes I have listed and not listed on the road, think everything through to the smallest detail. Have a good trip!