We recently noticed a question posted on the tripadviser.com Iran forum about renting a car in Tehran. Aside from the difficulties involved in doing this, the idea of a foreigner driving on his or her own in Tehran is slightly crazy. Tehran has some of the worst traffic we have seen anywhere in the world. Although the drivers themselves are pretty good, there is one glaring defect in the traffic system – they forgot to put in traffic lights. Therefore, when anyone tries to make a turn or a u-turn, it is a matter of forcing ones self into the ongoing traffic and hoping for the best. Strangely enough, we never saw an accident. But there were plenty of close calls. The few stop signs present on the streets act more as a suggestion to stop than a command. Even crossing the street can be an adventure. So, in short, we would not advise any foreigner to try driving in Tehran.
