By Rūta Kupetytė, LRT RADIJAS, LRT.lt.

A fifth of drivers in Lithuania rate the country’s road culture as poor, while 60% say it could be much better, according to a poll by Spinter Research for the Lietuvos Draudimas insurance firm.

In the survey, people said their mood was affected by aggression from other motorists, as well as rule-breaking and speeding

Driving instructor and road-safety expert Artūras Pakėnas said the country’s driving culture was not great, adding that it could be improved by fostering a sense of community and mutual respect.

“We’ve seen a strong rise in an egoistic mindset: I don’t like it, I don’t need it, I don’t want it. We forget that traffic is a social, community-based phenomenon, and we can assess its level only through our role in that social environment, not through our own personality,” he said.

“We must understand that we are not alone on the road and that traffic in Lithuania, as set out in point 4 of the Highway Code, is based on mutual respect. And that mutual respect is what we lack,” Pakėnas added.

Read more: LRT.LT