A French tourist was left fuming after they realised that they had to adhere to a certain ‘infuriating’ traffic rule in Greece or risk a fine – and people quickly agreed with her
If you’re planning a road trip in a different country, it’s crucial to get clued up on the local traffic laws before hitting the tarmac. It might feel strange to suddenly adhere to unfamiliar rules, but it’s essential for your safety and that of others.
That said, a French holidaymaker was left scratching her head after discovering an ‘exasperating’ driving rule that motorists in Corfu, Greece, must obey on certain routes. Taking to TikTok, a woman named Angeli revealed that the popular Greek island had ‘tested her patience’ after she found herself stuck at traffic lights for an extended period.
“Not Greece testing my road rage issues,” she captioned the video, which she was seen making from the inside of a car in standstill traffic.
To share what was going on, Angeli went on to zoom in her camera on a road sign positioned beneath a traffic light.
The sign initially outlined the rules in Greek, followed by an English translation, which stated that the light changes every seven and a half minutes.
So if you don’t make it through the lights at the first attempt, you could find yourself stranded there for 15 minutes or even longer. All for one crossing!
While the video was filmed in the village of Lakones on Corfu , such rules are not unusual for other parts of Greece as well.
Despite the potential for frustration due to the lengthy waiting times, these rules do serve a vital purpose. Due to the incredibly narrow roads, particularly for large vehicles such as buses, a traffic light controls the flow of vehicles, resulting in potential hold-ups of several minutes for motorists.
And don’t think about driving past the red light – as this could leave you with a €700 [£611] fine, which would no doubt put a downer on your holiday.
This specific red light has been circulated across social media several times as holidaymakers frequently become perplexed upon encountering it.
This time proved to be no different as viewers swiftly flocked to the comments section of Angeli’s clip to express their bewilderment.
One person jested: “Sorry I was take to work, the lights took seven minutes and 30 seconds to go green.”
Another commented: “What?!?!?! Why??? I can only presume it’s to act as a big disincentive to go that route? No one needs be penalised like that though.”
A third fumed: “Seven and a half minutes is diabolical.” Nevertheless, others mentioned they had encountered similar restrictions in different countries.
Someone else went on to reveal: “In Poland I have seen similar but with 30m intervals. Locals ignored it totally.”