The need for speed

Jaanus Mutli, who seems to be the only civil servant left at City Hall who hasn't gone on holiday yet, has revealed vague plans to cut the speed limit in Tallinn to 40 km/h. Not a blanket limit, he is quick to point out: just along specific roads and at specific intersections in the city centre where there are large numbers of pedestrian targets. In fact, the suggested go-slow zone covers the same area of the city in which you have to pay for your parking. I'm not sure whether this is simply for convenience or whether there's a logic to it somewhere. In any case, it is a largely sensible move, if as yet not thought through at great length.

It has nevertheless already created something of a stir. 'Traffic experts' have pointed out that reducing the speed limit in the neck of the bottle will only make it more congested, while also pointing out that whatever the signs you stick up, there will always be people who ignore them. The initiative is supported by the local Roads Authority, albeit with the caveat that City Hall should only implement the move if they can come up with the manpower required to exercise supervision of it. And there's the rub (i.e. in those last two points).

Estonians are some of the worst drivers in the world. People warned me about Italians and their cars before I went to live in Italy, but at least they're reckless in a reliable kind of way, and there are plenty of ridiculously dressed police on the roads maintaining some semblance of order. Here the drivers are just appalling. There might as well not be speed limits at all, as next to no one sticks to them, instead regularly exceeding them in bustling, built-up areas to degrees that would see them automatically lose their licences in Australia. The road seems to be where the average Estonian will happily express his frustration, jealousy and aggression, towards other drivers and hapless pedestrians alike. You only have to see the way the locals approach pedestrian crossings like lambs to the slaughter to appreciate that there is something to be feared here.

The flagrant disregard for road rules and the aggression of the drivers is exacerbated by the fact that the arm of the law that should keep them in check is so limp-wristed. (It's not helped either by the fact that there is never enough money to bring roads up to scratch, but that's another story; we're talking about an authority here who can't even find a paint for pedestrian crossings and lane markings that doesn't wear off in less than 24 hours.) I'm guessing this is a product of the enormous, sudden transitions that have been made since the Soviet Union collapsed. Estonia is a country, after all, which went from roughly no banking to Internet banking in the blink of an eye; ask anyone here what cheques are and they will probably never have heard of them. It works kind of the same with cars: all the Ladas have been replaced by black BMWs, but some basics of road safety have gone by the wayside in the meantime.

There are plenty of watchdogs guarding the banks, I imagine because there's money to be made out of it. But in Estonia there simply aren't enough police to go around, let alone form a fully functioning, effective traffic division, and there aren't the rules and systems of fines and whatnot to back them up. Nor the infrastructure: like cheques, speed cameras are something the country never caught on to. As a result, there is a 'lack of traffic culture' - a term bandied about here a lot of late, to little effect if you ask me: recognising your failings is only useful if you've got the wherewithal to address them, though I credit the admission - and a prevailing mindset that is totally inconducive to positive change.

The issues are so wide-ranging though that it's hard to know where to start. Most people here still appear to regard seatbelts as an optional extra. Drink driving remains a huge problem. At least three cars will run every red light. Combine this cavalier attitude with the fact that there's no incentive - apart from common sense, which most drivers seem to abandon as soon as they stick their key in the ignition - to follow the rules, since there's basically no one to enforce them, and you to begin to realise how big the problem is.

In that context you'd think that reducing the speed limit in the city centre would be a good idea, and by and large it has to be. But how many more frustrated drivers will it produce who exceed the speed limit even more heedlessly once they make it out the other side of the traffic jam?