No Rules: MAD driving in Ukraine

No Rules: MAD driving in Ukraine 2012 Kharkov-Simferopol road Driving a car in Ukraine There are a few disadvantages to driving in Ukraine that car owners should be aware of: frequent potholes; poor condition of many city and country roads getting stopped frequently by traffic police incompetent and reckless drivers (many bought their licenses instead of completing driving courses, and driving discipline is low in most cities) driving at night (poor street lighting, people walk along the side of the road, especially in rural areas) bad signs (no street names on street lights, etc.) After stopping you, traffic police will ask to see your vehicle registration certificate, driver’s license, and passport (to check for the entry stamp). They are not paranoid about driver violence like U.S. traffic police and may have you get out of the car to talk. Traffic police are known to check for “warning triangles“ and first-aid kits, which every car is supposed to have, and wheedle a bribe out of you if you don’t have them. I have seen traffic police inspecting something under the hood (oil levels perhaps?). If everything is okay, they will let you go without a fee, of course. In general, traffic police will not stop you more often for having foreign plates, and they are not prepared to chatter away with you in English. If you waste too much of their time, they will usually let you go. They have better things to do.