On the road with AZB (Unofficial Dr1 news reporter)

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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If you want to cut the corners to cut in-front of a long line in pouring rain, then make sure you know where all the ditches are; even under the water.
This is what happens to a wise guy who wants to cut lines but doesn't know his roads well.

2d1jkw7.jpg


Might as well make this thread a sticky. I will post pictures of accidents and daily occurrences on the road. I drive everyday from santiago to santo domingo. I just love my cell phone camera. Its not an Iphone but it has a good camera.
 

El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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While it seems you're having fun with your camera. Can I ask if that drive everyday stresses you out? I know it could stress me out, at times the driving gets so crazy you don't be in a car for a few days.
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
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While it seems you're having fun with your camera. Can I ask if that drive everyday stresses you out? I know it could stress me out, at times the driving gets so crazy you don't be in a car for a few days.

I can agree with this, sometimes it gets beyond a joke the standard of driving. For a while I laughed it off, now less so..

where do we draw the line between stupid driving, and doing something that has a high chance of killing someone? And with no moving traffic violations how the hell will these idiots get caught....



SteveS (5 accidents in 6 months, none my fault, car was stationary in 4, Santo Domingo)
 

El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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The driving in the DR in general is one of the biggest turn offs for me. When I have gone on long vacations (3 weeks to a month) by the second week I am ready to come back to NY. I get so freaken stressed out!!!

Aftab my friend I don't know how you do it everyday. Driving back and forth.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
Honestly, in my more than 4 years here in the DR I have seen many less accidents that in the States, specifically the Orlando area; and when there are accidents, they are much less deadly. I'm not promoting the way they drive here, just saying that people here drive much more defensively, at least during daytime hours up until the early evening. They have to, if they didn't it would be a bloodbath. On the contrary, nobody in the States is looking out for someone to run a red light, rather, they are accelerating through the intersections as opposed to going slower.

I rarely get stressed out driving here because I make sure I don't get in a hurry or competition with somebody, this doesn't mean I don't call them a few names when they pull out in front of me unexpectedly, like oye, payaso, feo y pipo, jeje, but that is just venting. :)
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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Don't become the victim, become the predator and you will be just fine. I have been driving here fulltime since 1998. I have never had any accident and I, probably, drive more than anyone here. I don't know what the stress issue is all about. Driving here is fun and its the most carefree driving I have seen anywhere in the world. I get stressed out driving in USA, especially in atlanta area. I have to watch my speed limit, obey local street speed limits, make sure all signals and lights are working, stop at stop signs and have all the papers in car and then watch out for cops etc etc etc. No way jose. I love driving here, papers or no papers, working light or no lights, I just go. I never even look at my speed limit i just drive. I, seriously, have no idea why people are so stressed out about driving here. Its so easy to drive here, I can literately do it with one eye closed. hehehehe
Now speaking of carefree or I should say, careless driving: I have hit a kid on a scooter ones. he fell down. I came out, picked him up, asked him if he was hurt, then I shook his hand and drove away. Then I was looking though the side window and didn't see the Amet cop jump infront of my car to stop me. Needless to say, I hit him. he pulled me out of the car, took out his handcuffs etc. But but, he was dealing with #1 BS artist, AZB I talked my way out. I made him laugh. Hahahahaha. a little sense of humor goes a long way.
So stop worrying about accidents, scare them for a change by bluffing your way inside the traffic jams. They will make spaces.
AZB
 

El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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Hmm, couldn't find an official stat, but found somewhere that said 8000 dead in 6 years due to car accidents, that's still a pretty high number - over 1100 per year. I don't know how that compares to the states, but at least by experience, being in a car, seeing others drive, and the number of close calls, it has to be worse in the DR. I know the driving is way worse than in Uruguay - which I used to think had to be one of the worst, now I actually think its not that bad. Something they do there, which is interesting, is on the top right hand corner of the most popular newspaper they publish, the number of accidents, number of injured, number died for the previous day, and the cumulative total for the year, as a way to raise awarenes for drivers.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
Hmm, couldn't find an official stat, but found somewhere that said 8000 dead in 6 years due to car accidents, that's still a pretty high number - over 1100 per year. I don't know how that compares to the states, but at least by experience, being in a car, seeing others drive, and the number of close calls, it has to be worse in the DR. I know the driving is way worse than in Uruguay - which I used to think had to be one of the worst, now I actually think its not that bad. Something they do there, which is interesting, is on the top right hand corner of the most popular newspaper they publish, the number of accidents, number of injured, number died for the previous day, and the cumulative total for the year, as a way to raise awarenes for drivers.

Based on the DR's population, 1100 deaths works out to 0.012%. The US death rate is higher at 0.014%.

However, this really isn't telling the whole story. First, the emergency response is much better in the US, which means that no doubt many more people in the US survive severe accidents than the US and therefore no doubt the number percentage wise of severe accidents in the DR is much less. Two, I'm certain most of the fatalaties involve people on motorcycles and drinking.

Therefore, as long as you aren't drinking and riding a motorcycle here in the DR it is actually safer here to drive a car.

List of motor vehicle deaths in U.S. by year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dominican Republic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

ExtremeR

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Mar 22, 2006
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Honestly, in my more than 4 years here in the DR I have seen many less accidents that in the States, specifically the Orlando area; and when there are accidents, they are much less deadly. I'm not promoting the way they drive here, just saying that people here drive much more defensively, at least during daytime hours up until the early evening. They have to, if they didn't it would be a bloodbath. On the contrary, nobody in the States is looking out for someone to run a red light, rather, they are accelerating through the intersections as opposed to going slower.

I rarely get stressed out driving here because I make sure I don't get in a hurry or competition with somebody, this doesn't mean I don't call them a few names when they pull out in front of me unexpectedly, like oye, payaso, feo y pipo, jeje, but that is just venting. :)

Well stated, while in the DR it seems people drive in a mad way, most of them are driving in a defensive way, really less accidents than for example Las Vegas, where I hear the rescue speeding down avenues every day.
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
297
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Based on the DR's population, 1100 deaths works out to 0.012%. The US death rate is higher at 0.014%.

However, this really isn't telling the whole story. First, the emergency response is much better in the US, which means that no doubt many more people in the US survive severe accidents than the US and therefore no doubt the number percentage wise of severe accidents in the DR is much less. Two, I'm certain most of the fatalaties involve people on motorcycles and drinking.

Therefore, as long as you aren't drinking and riding a motorcycle here in the DR it is actually safer here to drive a car.

List of motor vehicle deaths in U.S. by year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dominican Republic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What you are failing to factor in is the number of drivers per 1000 people. I'm sure that number is much higher in the US than here. Those statistics are irrelevant in that case.

On my way home at lunchtime wednesday (day is rained really hard), over the 3km on the way home I saw two serious accidents, both very preventable, and in both could have been fatal if they weren't. One was an SUV that had gone full speed into a truck from behind (the truck was on top of the front of the SUV and through the windscreen), the other was a public car on JFK which had gone directly in the side of another (straight into the drivers door which was half way across the drivers seat when I saw it).

In 10+ years of driving I have never seen either examples of these accidents just because it was raining. Its a case of risk vs reward. The 1st world has a much lower attitude to risk.

Tell me the DR is safer next time you see a car driving down the pavement/sidewalk at 45kmp/h just to dodge the traffic. (that was last week along the front of the Botanico... the whole length of the Botanico where the joggers run..........)
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
297
24
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Don't become the victim, become the predator and you will be just fine. I have been driving here fulltime since 1998. I have never had any accident and I, probably, drive more than anyone here. I don't know what the stress issue is all about. Driving here is fun and its the most carefree driving I have seen anywhere in the world. I get stressed out driving in USA, especially in atlanta area. I have to watch my speed limit, obey local street speed limits, make sure all signals and lights are working, stop at stop signs and have all the papers in car and then watch out for cops etc etc etc. No way jose. I love driving here, papers or no papers, working light or no lights, I just go. I never even look at my speed limit i just drive. I, seriously, have no idea why people are so stressed out about driving here. Its so easy to drive here, I can literately do it with one eye closed. hehehehe
Now speaking of carefree or I should say, careless driving: I have hit a kid on a scooter ones. he fell down. I came out, picked him up, asked him if he was hurt, then I shook his hand and drove away. Then I was looking though the side window and didn't see the Amet cop jump infront of my car to stop me. Needless to say, I hit him. he pulled me out of the car, took out his handcuffs etc. But but, he was dealing with #1 BS artist, AZB I talked my way out. I made him laugh. Hahahahaha. a little sense of humor goes a long way.
So stop worrying about accidents, scare them for a change by bluffing your way inside the traffic jams. They will make spaces.
AZB

I drive as you suggest Mr AZB, its the only way to get around. I still got hit 4 times from behind while trying to exit a junction/roundabout, and once driving along the road when someone came onto the road from a sidestreet with crappy brakes.......
 

laurajane

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May 23, 2005
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www.thecircusofdreams.com
Hmm, couldn't find an official stat, but found somewhere that said 8000 dead in 6 years due to car accidents, that's still a pretty high number - over 1100 per year. I don't know how that compares to the states, but at least by experience, being in a car, seeing others drive, and the number of close calls, it has to be worse in the DR. I know the driving is way worse than in Uruguay - which I used to think had to be one of the worst, now I actually think its not that bad. Something they do there, which is interesting, is on the top right hand corner of the most popular newspaper they publish, the number of accidents, number of injured, number died for the previous day, and the cumulative total for the year, as a way to raise awarenes for drivers.

ha ha i wonder how many are reading it whilst driving!
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
What you are failing to factor in is the number of drivers per 1000 people. I'm sure that number is much higher in the US than here. Those statistics are irrelevant in that case.

No doubt if you are talking about cars, but I'm not, I'm including motorcycles too. Don't discount the very high number of pulic transportation vehicles here either.

You name just one accident as an example, but I have many more than that, mostly fatal, in Orlando when I lived there.
 

SteveS

Member
Apr 15, 2008
297
24
18
No doubt if you are talking about cars, but I'm not, I'm including motorcycles too. Don't discount the very high number of pulic transportation vehicles here either.

You name just one accident as an example, but I have many more than that, mostly fatal, in Orlando when I lived there.

Its a whole funny situation really, which we lamented over our DR1 pathetic turnout tonight in SD.

If you actually count the "near accidents" that you see which would have actually happened in the US/UK/Canada etc..... its incredible....

I think that's actually the saving grace, but also the adaptation mechanism...... people here drive thinking that they're about to get into an accident (I sure do)....

I'm sure (especially those DR1ers that live in SD) can say that they have seen day after day, what should have been horrible accidents avoided by split second movements,.... that the rest of the first world would have no idea how to deal with....

Those of us who live here adapt and improve day after day learning this stuff, I sure have had to....

Only today a guy drove off the Duarte Bridge because his brakes failed... (according to him)

Witnesses say he was "borracho" and talking on the phone..... (who do you believe....?)