Curious to know....

Jan 8, 2017
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Driving in any form in this country is not for the faint of heart, most specifically for gringos, I understand this.  With the huge amount of accidents and deaths, how are these worked out among Dominicans?  If there is an accident and a jeepeta hits a moto and there is a serious injury or death, what happens?  With the amount of accidents and deaths, do they do any jail time?  
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
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38
Driving in any form in this country is not for the faint of heart, most specifically for gringos, I understand this.  With the huge amount of accidents and deaths, how are these worked out among Dominicans?  If there is an accident and a jeepeta hits a moto and there is a serious injury or death, what happens?  With the amount of accidents and deaths, do they do any jail time?  

First of all if you have lived in a major city or suburban area in North America than driving in the DR is not a big adjustment. The difference in the DR is that many times people do not follow the traffic rules or patterns. There is very little courtesy shown to other drivers and none to pedestrians. For the most part Dominicans were not taught to be good drivers and most are not. They use the brake to control their speed, when it should be the gas peddel. Speed limits? Right of ways? Que Esta? If you drive in the DR you need to drive defensively and have eyes in the back of your head. Gringos are not use to dealing with so many small motor bikes and scooters. This is the biggest adjustment. They are sometimes hard to see and they think you always see them. Having said alll that if you are unfortunate to be involved in an accident in the DR pray to god that it was not your fault or that you have witnesses as to what went down. Many times it's a he said, she said proposition. If there is injury involved, regardless of who's fault it was, you will have to go to the police station. From there most anything can happen. Make sure you have the phone number of a good lawyer in your pocket along with your cell phone. You may have to fork over some pesos to set the whole thing right. The other thing you are up against in the DR is that if you have an accident involving damage to your or their vehicle they might not have insurance or enough coverage to make it right. I drove all over the country from little towns to SD and fortunately never had a problem. When driving in the DR it sometimes seems that you are in a real time video game and you need to get from point A to B without a problem. Like I said, you literally need eyes in the back of your head and very good periferal vision. If you are one of these people that have tunnel vision and are so worried about driving you will not have a good experience. Don't even get me started on driving at night. That is a whole nother ballgame. If driving in the DR exceeds your comfort level than don't do it. Hire a car and driver, a moto or take public transportation. You will be happy that you did.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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4,330
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you need to use all your peripheral senses.... ALL

Yes, there is a known number for the value of a life.... It has been posted here before.
The number to be paid if someone is killed by a car .

I don't know that number and hope I never do
 
Jan 8, 2017
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I am asking about Dominican vs Dominican?  What happens....always a settlement?  There are so many accidents...or jail time??
 
Jan 17, 2009
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How is it NOT a big adjustment after your description of driving in the DR?   

 
First of all if you have lived in a major city or suburban area in North America than driving in the DR is not a big adjustment. The difference in the DR is that many times people do not follow the traffic rules or patterns. There is very little courtesy shown to other drivers and none to pedestrians. For the most part Dominicans were not taught to be good drivers and most are not. They use the brake to control their speed, when it should be the gas peddel. Speed limits? Right of ways? Que Esta? If you drive in the DR you need to drive defensively and have eyes in the back of your head. Gringos are not use to dealing with so many small motor bikes and scooters. This is the biggest adjustment. They are sometimes hard to see and they think you always see them. Having said alll that if you are unfortunate to be involved in an accident in the DR pray to god that it was not your fault or that you have witnesses as to what went down. Many times it's a he said, she said proposition. If there is injury involved, regardless of who's fault it was, you will have to go to the police station. From there most anything can happen. Make sure you have the phone number of a good lawyer in your pocket along with your cell phone. You may have to fork over some pesos to set the whole thing right. The other thing you are up against in the DR is that if you have an accident involving damage to your or their vehicle they might not have insurance or enough coverage to make it right. I drove all over the country from little towns to SD and fortunately never had a problem. When driving in the DR it sometimes seems that you are in a real time video game and you need to get from point A to B without a problem. Like I said, you literally need eyes in the back of your head and very good periferal vision. If you are one of these people that have tunnel vision and are so worried about driving you will not have a good experience. Don't even get me started on driving at night. That is a whole nother ballgame. If driving in the DR exceeds your comfort level than don't do it. Hire a car and driver, a moto or take public transportation. You will be happy that you did.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
I am asking about Dominican vs Dominican?  What happens....always a settlement?  There are so many accidents...or jail time??

depends. i spoke to a lawyer about this last year and he said standard compensation is 2 million pesos for death and 1 million pesos for injury. but this is, of course, for people who have money. other people pay what they can afford. between the poor nothing much happens. one cannot squeeze water out of a stone.
and no jail, really. occasionally one sees news that a driver who caused an accident was arrested but i don't see news about sentences. and a few months back a guy who caused a massive accident in samana and arrested was caught after making a u-turn on avenida churchill in SD just few weeks later, he was simply let go.
 

billma90

Member
Aug 15, 2012
118
3
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70
Toronto
Been in Puerto Plata 12 times, i am a very good defensive driver, but no way i would rent a car and drive there. I think i would feel like a target $$$$$
 

monfongo

Bronze
Feb 10, 2005
1,206
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I was in a truck headed into Puerto plata with my friend ant two other people when a moto ran head on into us, the girl on the back got thrown off the bike and only had scratches but the guy died shortly after. even though she admitted he was drunk and it was his fault it still cost my friend about $ 5,000 US all total.
 

Blueceo

Member
Nov 1, 2015
192
22
18
I have been driving my own vehicle in the DR since 2007 and have driven to almost every area of the country. I live in Santo Domingo and can attest to everything said by LTSteve above. The only thing he failed to mention is the necessity of using your horn most all the time. If you don't you increase your chances of someone pulling over onto you as you overtake them. He also didn't mention the fact that many cars and motos do not have functioning taillights, stoplights and headlights making them virtually invisible at night. In addition, the ones that do have functioning headlights keep them on highbeams to effectively blind you when coming at you. In spite of all the things mentioned, I love driving in the DR as I never have to worry about getting tickets as I do in the States, just carry a few pesos and you can get out of anything.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,330
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Adding to CEO's comments

They never or rarely indicate for turning...horn by you
They often drive against the traffic....wrong side of road.
They pass without giving notice.....always a horn when passing.

It's a long list, those are the highlights 
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
732
113
Get a dash cam.

$30 off eBay or Amazon.  They are game changers.  Instead of he-said, she-said, you have irrefutable evidence of what happened.  BTW this is admissible evidence.  There are lawyers and public notary's that can make them legal evidence.  So don't accept the urban myth that dash cam footage is worthless.
 

billma90

Member
Aug 15, 2012
118
3
18
70
Toronto
I was in a truck headed into Puerto plata with my friend ant two other people when a moto ran head on into us, the girl on the back got thrown off the bike and only had scratches but the guy died shortly after. even though she admitted he was drunk and it was his fault it still cost my friend about $ 5,000 US all total.

Precise reason i will not drive there. :dead:
 

USA DOC

Bronze
Feb 20, 2016
3,168
759
113
Adding to CEO's comments

They never or rarely indicate for turning...horn by you
They often drive against the traffic....wrong side of road.
They pass without giving notice.....always a horn when passing.

It's a long list, those are the highlights 

.....Very good points....I am very sure that is why God invented uber and brought it to the DR.....not to mention the wonderful tradition of conchos... with these 2, my car stays in the drive way most days........
 

sanpedrogringo

I love infractions!
Sep 2, 2011
2,911
0
0
As posted elsewhere, and can also be applied here:
With a 'chofer' you don't need a taxi or Uber.....nor worry about checkpoints.
Has worked for me for 10 years.
 
Jan 8, 2017
40
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depends. i spoke to a lawyer about this last year and he said standard compensation is 2 million pesos for death and 1 million pesos for injury. but this is, of course, for people who have money. other people pay what they can afford. between the poor nothing much happens. one cannot squeeze water out of a stone.
and no jail, really. occasionally one sees news that a driver who caused an accident was arrested but i don't see news about sentences. and a few months back a guy who caused a massive accident in samana and arrested was caught after making a u-turn on avenida churchill in SD just few weeks later, he was simply let go.



This answers my question.  Now I understand why you see so many who keep on driving, they don't want to be saddled with the cost of responsibility, even with the fact that there is no jail time involved....

Doing the right thing is expensive here I guess...
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,330
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Beside the money, witnesses are sequestered for a period of time.

Stopping creates more problems than it solves.... call and report it....from a distance 
 
Jan 8, 2017
40
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Beside the money, witnesses are sequestered for a period of time.

Stopping creates more problems than it solves.... call and report it....from a distance 



So essentially three options:  a) keep going; b) get caught or c) do the right thing.

With b & c you will pay the $$$ and the difference between gringo/Dominican and Dominican/Dominican is the total amount you would spend....

Really does bring clarity to the risks.....for Dominicans, it's not about causing an injury or death but about paying the least amount possible and quite the opposite for gringos in the same scenario..
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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Is your c) different than my d)

d) report from a distance

ALL observers are held for questioning.... do not volunteer.... 
you can still do the right thing.... get a lawyer if it's your fault....

BTW, jail is where you'll be held 
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,969
113
Is your c) different than my d)

d) report from a distance

ALL observers are held for questioning.... do not volunteer.... 
you can still do the right thing.... get a lawyer if it's your fault....

BTW, jail is where you'll be held 

Unless you have additional coverage on your policy called Casa de Conductor, then you can be in a room that is more like a hotel when you are held.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,330
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Sto Domingo and STI is where that works......

Nagua might be a problem, LT too.... Cabrera for sure
Which is why I take the local boys beer ?????? for their lunch every now and then