Italy is wonderful, you should go, only problem is that they speak Italian.
Source: tried it myself.
Probably practice is needed, but your holidays are too short for that.
I was not thinking about excessive speeds or tailgating.
In Southern Italy, when you are stuck in a traffic jam in the city, you just drive nearer to other cars, and this is only mildly dangerous because you don't have high speeds.
If you don't drive tight enough, you just can't proceed because some other car will take your place.
This is not tailgating or driving recklessly.
Lots of crosses remembering dead drivers on the side of the roads too.