Driving A Car In The DR

Pogibro

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Jun 8, 2003
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I'll be visiting the DR over the summer, and would like to rent a car. The Lonely Planet Guide Book strongly advises against it. They state that if you are involved in an accident, you will be worked over as a "rich foriegner", and could actually do some jail time. I have driven in many countries, and this seems a bit harsh. Could anyone shed a some light on this issue? Thanks very much!
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
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Ignore the Lonely Planet Guide Book.

Spend a few minutes using the search function of this board.
You will find ALL the answers.

1000's of tourists hire cars here without a problem.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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A few facts

Fact 1) Driving in the DR is not very easy.
Fact 2) If involved in an accident involving bodily harm to anyone, you go to jail
Fact 3) It is much wiser to rent a car and driver or take public transportation.
Fact 4) EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALL THE INSURANCE, and you are involved in a Fact 2 situation, you will go to jail, perhaps for one night, or if on a Friday you will stay until Monday.

HB

Note: After you have been here a while and have a "feel" for the place, THEN you might consider renting a car. Make sure you have friends going with you ....
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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I have to agree wholeheartedly with HB. My wife and I drove in the DR every day for the four years we lived there (1995-99), so we certainly have the experience. That's why in our upcoming trip to the DR we resisted renting a car! Didn't want the ulcers. Unfortunately we're going to some places on the North Coast where buses are not plentiful, so it looks like we'll have to "bite the bullet" and rent one in Santiago after we visit HB.:nervous: [Hey, HB ready for the invasion of the R clan??? ;) ]

Regards,
Keith
 

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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To get around the inconvenience and problems related if a driver has a serious accident and someone is seriously hurt, insurance companies now work with a private company -- La Casa del Conductor, located at Avenida Bolivar (former Hotel Comodoro).

If you are in an accident, you no longer need to report this to the Police. We recommend you rent with a reputable car rental company that using this facility.

You take your problem there and the insurance company agent will assist you. If you need to stay in jail you will do so at this facility that is a former hotel. Thus, the possibility of extortion is minimal as the insurance company will take care of your claim.

We do advise you to take full insurance coverage offered by the company and ask if they are affiliated to the Casa del Conductor.

While to get around in the city (Santo Domingo) we do not recommend renting a car unless you are very familiar -- there are lots of taxis at good prices -- to see the country there is no better way than with the freedom of movement that driving a car gives. The rule here is to drive on the defensive.
 

Tony C

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Jan 1, 2002
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Re: A few facts

Sorry HB but I disagree 100%

Hillbilly said:
Fact 1) Driving in the DR is not very easy.
Fact 2) If involved in an accident involving bodily harm to anyone, you go to jail
Fact 3) It is much wiser to rent a car and driver or take public transportation.
Fact 4) EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALL THE INSURANCE, and you are involved in a Fact 2 situation, you will go to jail, perhaps for one night, or if on a Friday you will stay until Monday.

Driving is a snap in the DR. Just drive agressive and you will have no problems. I prefer driving in the DR than in the states

If by some slim chance you are in a accident in which somebody is hurt just act outraged that the idiot hit you. Even if it is your fault blame the other. Then say your hurt and leave for the hospital.

Do not hire a driver. He will rob you blind.
Do not take public transportation unless Like waiting in the Humid heat, you like your women to be groped or love the smell of BO.

If you have insurance you will not see a jail! Just don't be pushed around.

Ken and Hillbilly are the ones who always express negativity towards tourists driving in the DR. I guess they don't like to drive
 

Pogibro

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Thanks for the advice. Probably the craziest place that I have driven is Manila. That is total chaos, so I have learned to drive in a defensive/aggresive mode. I plan on being out on the north coast and not in SD so I am hoping that the driving scene will be a bit more mellow. Thanks again!
 

Barnabe

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Dec 20, 2002
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1) Robert says 1000's tourists hire a car without problems.

That is certainly true. That means: most probably you won't have any problem, especially if you don't drive in big cities. The risk is very small.

However the point is: what will happen if you are the unlucky ONE that is involved in an accident?

Then, I would say, do all the posters on this thread have been themselves in that situation? If for example somebody tells you there is no risk, ask him what is his experience? How did he handle the situation?


2) If someone tells you you just have to talk louder than the one you hurted, that the thing will go smooth this way, and that you believe it is 100% true, I can say only one thing: Welcome in DR and GOOD LUCK

Barnab?
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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Pogibro said:
Thanks for the advice. Probably the craziest place that I have driven is Manila. That is total chaos, so I have learned to drive in a defensive/aggresive mode. I plan on being out on the north coast and not in SD so I am hoping that the driving scene will be a bit more mellow. Thanks again!

I was in Manila several times, and I would like to state that traffic in Santo Domingo is worse than in Manila. In Manila it's the amount of people that make the traffic difficult (being a REAL big city). In Santo Domingo it's the selfishness of 60% of the drivers and the stupidity of the other 40% that makes driving a daily frustration, and I am amazed that in my two years of driving around in Santo Domingo I was only involved in 2 accidents (of which one, I must admit, was my own stupidity..:D

By the way, if you wanna drive in a real mess, go to Bombay. After driving there just for half an hour, driving in any other city seems no challenge to me anymore...it's like a video game.

gr. Mauricio
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Being the OLD wuss, as Tony C says,

I posted about a family that was wiped out on the highway in Villa Altagracia.

In today's paper there was a small follow up story that said that there was a semi rig parked on the side of the road (didn't say which side), and the driver was doing his "business" (pi$$ing, I suppose). He heard the other rig hit the car. His statement was that the car had slowed down and was run over by the loaded semi......

Unless I go down to Viulla and ask around the site, I am not satisfied.

1) did this happen in the North bound lane, as the driver was turning to cross the divide?
2) Or did this happen as the driver went into the South bound lane too slowly?

These are important items to consider..

Anyway, driving is not always fun here, caveat choferum, I suppose...

HB
 

Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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Then say your hurt and leave for the hospital.--TONYC

I saw this work. A gringo was drunk beyond belief and hit another gringo in sosua one night about a year ago. The policia was there within a minute. Then the drunk gringo told the policia that his wife was hurt and he had to bring her to the hospital in Santiago. The policia said "ok" even though the guy was obvoiusly drunk out of his mind. Then the drunk, along with his wife, hopped on the back of a motoconcho and sped off into the night. Maybe things would have been different if he had hit a Dominican or if the other gringo had protested a little( I dont think the other gringos espanol was too good and he just stood there like a dummy).
Larry
 

GringoCArlos

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Jan 9, 2002
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Saying that you are hurt and are leaving for the hospital might have worked in the old days. Most cops had just a nightstick, no transportation, and AMET was not around.

Even if you are NOT hurt, even if you just want to go get checked out to make sure nothing is wrong, SHUT UP about this if you do go to file a police report. If you say anything about injuries or POTENTIAL injuries, you are going to spend the night there, or the weekend at the jail while they sort it out.
 
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