Graham, it is perhaps not as bad as it seems from what I wrote. The problem is that in many cases the speed limit is 50 where in France it would be 75, the centre line on the road is unbroken where it is perfectly safe to overtake and so on. Naturally people ignore the signage and do what they perceive is actually ok. This leads to a habit of disobeying the rules even where they should be applied.
After a while in Italy you learn to drive like the Italians. I have to concentrate to drive like the English when in England or