WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Americans traveling abroad run into the same sort of dangers that foreign-born residents face in the United States, according to road safety organizations.

More than 200 Americans die in traffic incidents in other countries each year, according to U.S. State Department statistics, which is far greater than the number of deaths from crime or terrorism.

“If you’re not familiar with the culture, the regulations, the driving conditions, it is often easy to make the wrong choice,” Cathy Silberman, executive director of the Potomac-based Americans for Safe International Road Travel said.

“Certainly, if you’re not familiar with things like what the signs mean, you're at a disadvantage.”

ASIRT was founded in 1995 by Potomac mother Rochelle Sobel after her son and 21 other travelers died in a bus accident in Turkey. Since then, the group has successfully lobbied the State Department to expand road safety information on Consular Information Sheets, and Embassy and State Department Web sites so travelers can educate themselves prior to departure.

In Mexico alone, some cities restrict the number of days a driver can use their cars in order to combat air pollution, and many highways have narrower lanes with steep shoulders that the State Department says make “single-vehicle rollover accidents involving U.S. citizens … very common.”

Many countries do not allow right turns at red lights as is customary in the United States and have other driving habits that would surprise American drivers — for example, in India, drivers determine right-of-way based on vehicle size and drivers in Morocco flash their lights to indicate they want another driver to yield to them, according to ASIRT’s Web site.

“People need to be informed so they can inoculate themselves with information, the same way they would with taking medicine ahead of a trip,” Silberman said.

“If you know what the deal is with pedestrian rules, public transportation or what to expect in cabs, it can make a difference.”

kmiller@dcexaminer.com