When "Right" is Wrong

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
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In both our MotoCaribe ebook, Two Wheels in Paradise: The Essential Guide to Riding Motorcycles in the Dominican Republic, and our tour orientation we stress that for ones safety is MUCH more important to understand and apply the local driving culture instead of applying the LEGAL "Rules of the Road" because the latter can get you killed.

While not fatal we saw a textbook case of exactly this Sunday afternoon in Piedra Blanca on the autopista headed to Sto Dgo.

We stopped at the light in light traffic, left lane, about two cars behind the light. It's a light with one of those countdown signals. There were 10 seconds to green.

Across the way in the oncoming lanes two bad-ass, loud Harleys were showing off with "Look At Me" intentional hard braking to the line. They were first at the light. I thought "idiots." They revved their engines over and over to show badassedness personified.

About 3 seconds before green, the Harleys were revving at red line like in a drag race, clear they were gonna show the world how "it's done." At the same time I noticed a gold Suburban SUV behind me in the left turn lane going fairly fast, clear he thought he had the light "timed" perfectly for a left turn ahead of the traffic.

I said to Alida "S#!t, There is going to be a crash!"

Light turns green, SUV turns left, Harley's leave FAST like in a drag race at the first sight of green and CRASH!!!!

Harley in the left lane obviously crashed into the SUV's front right wheel area.

We drove by with one Harley on the ground, forks obviously bent, a big dent in the SUV, and a guy picking himself off the ground with bloody elbows (he wore a helmet, but just a t-shirt and-of course-his black leather Harly vest.)

Idiots. Both. You both earned this one.

The Harley guys were "right" but their behavior CLEARLY caused the accident because even though the SUV did, in fact, violate "Right of Way" rules. But the Harley guys could very easily have avoided the accident.

This reinforces a rule we preach over and over again: when the light turns green, ALWAYS wait a second or so and SCAN all traffic. There may be an SUV trying to beat the light, Dominican style...
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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CB, there are several light i have seen in DR with a double count. the clock can only show up to 99 seconds. but sometimes, on bigger intersections with more traffic it is 99 seconds times two. the first count of 99 is for vehicles going straight on the main road and second 99 for cars entering from a minor street. so it you start driving at 1 second to go, as many do, you may be in for a nasty surprise.
an example of this system is an intersection in POP, next to the hospital. two separate main lines plus 3 smaller streets coming in and out. the first 99 second is full stop for everyone in your line and with the next 99 second you can go straight at 43 seconds or so.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
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Common mistake but unusual to see it unfold before your eyes. In Florida near my old home there was a small traffic light controlled street that fed into US 1. The traffic on US1 frequently ran at 50 or 60 mph. The cars on the small street would go on green and the southbound cars would t bone them at high speed trying to make the light. We used to have 2 or 3 fatals a year on that corner. Just because its green does not automatically mean go. Hey, dv8, you left out the kids with the dirty sponges trying to smear the dirt around the windshield which adds to the insanity of that intersection.