Why No One in Italy Wears a Seatbelt...and Other Things That Would Horrify My American Mother

I didn't realize how cautious Americans are until I moved to Italy.

From kids rolling around in cars without seatbelts to the ever-present smokers, I've been a bit shocked at just how laissez-faire Italians can be with their lives.

Seatbelts Be Damned

Sure, not every American buckles up, but over 90% do. In Italy, only 60% wear their seatbelts. I'd wager it's even lower in Calabria, the lawless land!

Yes, it is the law to wear one. But everyone in Fra's family (including him, until I scream at him to buckle up) drives around without one. Including his father and brother, who work/ed as bus drivers and who should know better.

In fact, the other day, his father was driving us back from the beach. He'd put on his seat belt, only because he was driving my car, and it makes an annoying noise when you don't. But the minute he arrived in Davoli, he unbuckled.

I asked why. He said because it was uncomfortable. I said, "well, so is dying."

I asked if they didn't have accidents where people died because they weren't wearing a seatbelt. He said they did. I guess he missed my point.

Then There's The Kids

In the U.S., kids are practically packed in bubble wrap when put in the car. There are rules about car seats and how old kids have to be to upgrade. In Italy, again, there are laws, but nobody adheres to them.

My first horror was seeing someone driving with a child in their lap. In the driver's seat. While smoking. (the adult, not the kid). Yep.

I often see kids in the back with no seatbelts on, much less a car seat. And scooters? Hell. They're clinging to the backs of their parents as they putter through town. Fortunately, I usually see them with helmets. (For some reason, Italians do put on their helmets. I guess there's a limit to their daredevil attitudes.)

Smoking is Still à la Mode

Granted, I lived in San Diego, which is a very health-conscious city. Few people smoke there.

On our first date, I asked Fra if he smoked. Fortunately, the answer was no (I actually stopped talking to a guy on a dating app when he told me he smoked). His parents and brother don't smoke, though his aunts, uncle, and cousin do.

There's no "smoking or non" question at restaurants. If people want to smoke after dinner, they do, regardless of how that might bother other diners. Many people vape, which I guess is a little better, but still, I see a ton of people rolling their own cigarettes. Crazy.

Cigarette packs actually come with a warning: there's a photo on every pack of something horrific, like a man with a hole in his throat who had surgery after throat cancer. The pack says "smoking kills," and yet...everyone ignores the warning. (head scratch)

Going to the Dentist? Eh, if You Need to

Another sharp contrast from America is the recommended frequency of regular checkups. For example, my entire life, dentists have recommended going every six months. I panic if I delay too long, for fear my teeth will rot out of my head.

Here, the dentist told me that I was doing such a good job of cleaning that I could wait a whole year!

And another thing...they typically don't floss your teeth. I can't figure this one out.

And in America, after 40, doctors recommend a mammogram every year. Here, it's every two years.

The fact that these checkups are recommended less frequently tells me maybe America is over the top when it comes to healthcare. If women aren't getting breast cancer and people aren't getting cavities because they're waiting longer, maybe American doctors are just trying to make more money by encouraging people to come more frequently...ya think??

I'm still adjusting to how casual Italians are about things I was raised to believe had strict rules!