Driving in the DR: Tips for an American?

POPNYChic

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Jul 27, 2009
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I dont drive but my husband will have to soon when we go to DR. I have told him people there do whatever they want on the road but am having trouble giving him real pointers, as I have never driven anywhere lol

How does driving in DR compare to driving in the U.S.? I don't want to scare him but I feel he definitely needs to know some things before he tries it.

Tips? Tricks? The good? The bad? The UGLY!
 

korejdk

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Dec 29, 2006
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From your handle I am assuming that you're from NY, so if he drives in NY regularly he will be fine. Only warning - do not drive after dark.
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Drive on the right hand side of the road... when convenient.

In all seriousness
  • stay focused on driving & pay attention to both those in front & behind you
  • when possible, drive toward center of the road in case of motos, kids, animals darting out in front of you
  • try to know where you're going before you head out
  • watch for cars passing on the left when you make a left turn
  • at night watch for pedestrians & motos/cars with no tail lights

today heading to sosua.... wide open road & two motos passed us on the left at about 50mph... i look out the window as one runs off the other side of the road & loses control - feet off the bike, hands flailing around... and still fast enough to be overtaking us. had to slow down the car in case he bounced back into the street... bike eventually went down, with him falling as well at about 35mph. he seemed to be pretty much okay except for a banged up leg. he was extremely lucky, it could've ended much worse had there been oncoming traffic or he ended up crashing on the pavement or into a tree.
 

CanWest66

Member
May 11, 2008
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Drive eyes wide open.

I have only driven in the DR about 4 times but on my last trip I drove over 2000 kilometers(1200 miles) from the north coast to Punta Cana through Santiago and Santo Domingo and back. I am more at ease now when driving but NEVER complacent. You must always remember that the gringo is WRONG.. ALWAYS. For this reason and reasons of your own safety and that of others you must have an attitude of heightened vigilance when driving there. You must never expect anyone to drive in a manner consistent with "the rules of the road". Do expect the unexpected and the dangerous and unpredictable and downright F***ing stupid actions of others on the road. There is a kind of chaotic system on the roads that you can pick up on in time but do not expect them do drive the way you think they should, it will never happen and you will only cause yourself ulcers and high blood pressure. As for driving at night, I would avoid it unless you are familiar with the route. Remember that there will be motos with no lights carrying 3 or more passengers, pedestrians walking on the edge of the road, cars without lights and no street lights(except in some urban areas but do not expect them to be illuminated) The other thing about driving at night is the roads are bad with crater size pot holes and lots of folks drive around with there high beams on steady and they will blind you and you won't be able to see the road or the shoulder. I will drive in Santiago at night but not in more rural areas. Just remember to have your head on a swivel and expect chaos and go with the flow. Be aware that the public cars and gua guas with be constantly pulling over to the right and stopping and more often than not still blocking the right lane. If you have a choice favor the middle or left lane.
Good luck and keep your eyes open.
 

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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Please, read this again, it is great advice.

.......
In all seriousness
  • stay focused on driving & pay attention to both those in front & behind you
  • when possible, drive toward center of the road in case of motos, kids, animals darting out in front of you
  • try to know where you're going before you head out
  • watch for cars passing on the left when you make a left turn
  • at night watch for pedestrians & motos/cars with no tail lights
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,502
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I've driven from Jarabacoa to Santiago and Mao, but no way in Hell will I drive in Santo Domingo. I've driven in Mexico, Honduras, Africa, Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia, and New Zealand.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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I consider myself a very good driver, driving in Manhattan is easy for me. I used to drive all over Santo Domingo, for years and years, from when my 20-something kids were very little. Now? You couldn't PAY me to drive in central Santo Dgo - my husband has absolutely no problem with it. I could handle the Malecon, Independencia, and 27 de Febrero - but no way would I fight my way up Churchill or Lincoln. They're nuts! It's like one giant game of "chicken".
 

El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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What CFA123 said and AVOID DRIVING AT NIGHT until you are a pro.

It took me two minor car accidents to get used to driving the DR way.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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All of the above.
I have had fender benders, serious hits and it is not good.
Once I was hit turning left by a guy who was passing, in spite of my signaling and slowing...
Another time I rear ended a young boy who was "practicing" as he stopped in the middle of a four lane avenue (left lane of course) because he "was confused"....no brake lights of course...that is sort of standard for many cars.

today, my daughter in law told me she saw a Mercedes stop in the middle of traffic and it was read-ended by a "camioneta" that flipped two or three times....

She said she had never seen that one before..

However, I slept all the way from the toll station to Santiago!! Needed it!

HB
 

korejdk

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Dec 29, 2006
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You must always remember that the gringo is WRONG.. ALWAYS.

I beg to differ - once I Cabarete I was doing a U turn at around 11 pm and a motoconcho with 3 resort workers hit me from behind...got out of the car and the resort ladies were all " ai dios mio, me voi a murir"...I told the guy with the motoconcho "are you blind?"...and they were all "policia policia", I told them go ahead, and the locals that were gathering were saying to the guy, that it was his fault no sense in calling la policia...anyway, I was in a hurry so I asked the magic question "quanto", so they all forgot about the pain - ended up paying 10 bucks each...other time was driving towards Cabarete with the intention to turn right into the bario before the overhead pass...started signallin in advance, slow down, check mirrors etc etc, then when I turn right this motoconcho hits me...same scenario, dinero, policia etc and I told him "es tu culpa cabron, abre los ojos cuando manejar" and he just walked away... if you seem week/don't know your way around the DR then yes, it is your fault - I agree, but if you're familiar with the DR and you're trully not at fault then the truth can prevail.
 
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snoozer

Member
Jan 22, 2004
282
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The one rule I use when driving in the DR is to expect anyone else on the road to do the unexpected.

On my last 6 week trip I did a lot of driving and quickly found myself to be a better defensive driver than I have ever been in my life.

I did drive at night too but avoided it if possible, one thing I did like to do was give a big blast on my horn whenever I passed the idiots on motos with no lights. Not sure they go the message but I felt better for it!!
 

mrchris74

New member
Mar 14, 2006
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Lots of good advice above, to which I would I add the following points:

1. Forget what you've heard about the Dominican education system; they all know their physics. The larger vehicle always, and i mean ALWAYS, has the right-of-way.

2. Driving there requires a heightened state of awareness. Use the mirrors! You need to know not only what is in front of you, but also what is behind. When passing, check the side mirrors, the car behind you may still be in your rearview, but the 23rd car behind him may be trying to pass all of you. Know whether or not the oncoming lane has a median, oncoming traffic will (usually) slide over to allow you to pass, but only if they have room to do so. Know your own vehicle's acceleration ability. Judge the degree of sobriety of all other drivers. Regard them all as opponents, if not enemies.

3. Control your space. In the case of getting passed while making a left turn, this can easily be avoided by guarding your flank. If you know you need to turn, and also that there is madman flying up your tail end, casually move towards the center of the road, even if it means forcing oncoming traffic to swerve towards the shoulder. This will cause said madman to switch tactics and pass you on the right, thus avoiding an accident. If it suits you, you could even use your turn signal.

4. Use your horn. Whereas in the states the use of the horn could provoke an unpleasant incident, in the DR the failure to use it is equally offensive. In Moca I once had a motoconchista pound on my window (while driving at highway speed) because when the light turned green I waited until traffic stopped and made a left turn, not realizing that the moto was not required to stop at red lights and that I had failed to announce my presence with authority. I could tell by the gestures he was making that I was most certainly in the wrong. Here's how to use the horn:

- One honk, not too short, not too long = "Coming through!"
- 2 honks = "Coming through and I'm doing something a little stupid..."
- 3 or more honks = "Presently I am writing a check for your funeral expenses."

5. Keep some cash handy... you know, just in case.

Hope this helps.

Chris
 
I beg to differ - once I Cabarete I was doing a U turn at around 11 pm and a motoconcho with 3 resort workers hit me from behind...got out of the car and the resort ladies were all " ai dios mio, me voi a murir"...I told the guy with the motoconcho "are you blind?"...and they were all "policia policia", I told them go ahead, and the locals that were gathering were saying to the guy, that it was his fault no sense in calling la policia...anyway, I was in a hurry so I asked the magic question "quanto", so they all forgot about the pain - ended up paying 10 bucks each...other time was driving towards Cabarete with the intention to turn right into the bario before the overhead pass...started signallin in advance, slow down, check mirrors etc etc, then when I turn right this motoconcho hits me...same scenario, dinero, policia etc and I told him "es tu culpa cabron, abre los ojos cuando manejar" and he just walked away... if you seem week/don't know your way around the DR then yes, it is your fault - I agree, but if you're familiar with the DR and you're trully not at fault then the truth can prevail.

Truth never prevails, you paid your way out of the first one,The second guy was probably wanted by the police or he would have stayed till hell froze over for the police. In DR if you have a vehicle accident with injuries,you get arrested plain and simple till they figure the whole mess out. If you are not a Dominican believe me you will be paying the other persons medical bills at the very least.
 

ggparts

Member
Mar 20, 2003
210
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no one has mentioned...

flash your lights just as a matter of fact to be sure on-comers are aware of your presence? This is day or night.

What about arm gestures that help others set an expectation of what you may do like using your outstretched arm palm down moving up and down to indicate you are slowing (or you want the person following to slow)

Did anyone mention at night all of the small towns persons migrate to the edge of the roads to socialize ?

Farm animals on or by the side of the road?

Gua guas stopping then frantically speeding by, in an attempt to catch and overtake their competitors in order to get to the next victims er I mean passenger shake and repeat.

How about cars and motos coming toward you on the right shoulder (wrong way) when you think you are on a divided roadway because they have limited access to turnarounds (see autopista east of SD) ?
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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POPNYChic,
As you see, there's a lot of advice. The actual driving tips above are all valid & I use them all depending on the circumstances. Those of us who drive frequently do so much of this now purely out of habit that there's probably other things we do without even considering it as important.

Revisiting the thread, I realized your name POPNYChic perhaps indicates you'll be driving on the north coast & in Puerto Plata? If that's the case, it's not nearly as challenging or stressful as a cross-country trip or driving in Santiago or Sto Domingo rush hours.

I'll throw in another tip that I think is critical... at night you'll see a lot of single light motorcycles coming toward you on the left side of the road which allows you to use a lot of the width of the road. Problem? It's not at all unusual for that oncoming light to be the only functioning headlight on a car... so at night, take into account what might appear to be a moto is very often something using up the entire left lane!

Another... driving an unfamiliar stretch of highway, always remain cautious because what is at the moment a nice paved road can have a 50 foot segment completely unpaved & bumpy - with no warning. Or as is the case on the way to Rio San Juan, a bridge that for a few years now just simply isn't at level with the road & you have to slow down as you approach it. Also, watch on many rural highways for portions on the side that have 'fallen away'. This can be a 2 foot cave-in or as you might see in the mountains 1/2 the width of the road.

Also, you learn to take your cues from the car in front of you as to road conditions. It sort of becomes 2nd nature to identify when his little swerve at 40 or 50mph is to avoid a pothole & follow his line of travel. It's often safer to follow another car on the highway & let them find the bad spots for you.

Another... try to have good windshield wipers on your car. Many roads have no painted lines or reflectors to aid in maintaining your lane during a heavy downpour.

Another... don't be too freaked out if you should run into a military roadblock. It's not unusual for the police to create a roadblock to look for a criminal, guns, or whatever the interest of the day is. In my experience I'm almost always waved through without a word or any sign of interest from the officers.
 
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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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one thing I did like to do was give a big blast on my horn whenever I passed the idiots on motos with no lights. Not sure they go the message but I felt better for it!!

I do this as well. Sometimes they get aggrevated and motion for me to pass acknowledging that they know I am passing them. :cheeky: And sometimes I have gotten the middle finger.:cheeky: Go figure. But I still do it anyway just in case it's some drunk moto driver or someone that might be falling asleep (yes, motoconcho drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel).:ermm:
 

CFA123

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May 29, 2004
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Now the thoughts are flowing...

I went to Barahona/Bahoruco/Jimani earlier this year for the first time.
50 mph & speed bump! I thought I'd torn out the undercarriage of the car. Amazing how you can travel 5 hours across the country & all of a sudden encounter a province where they just looooove speed bumps.

Anyhow near police/military & sometimes school areas you will find speed bumps (or dips) that are completely unmarked & difficult to see until you are almost on top of them. This can be on a high speed road, not just in urban areas. Without the plethora of signs in the U.S. you'd see warning you to slow down, here it sort of becomes second nature to spot the military outpost or school from a distance as you approach & start looking more aggressively for a possible speed bump.
 

nikke

Member
Sep 19, 2005
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If you're not used to driving here I reccomend you rent a vehicle that is high off of the ground with big tires like an SUV - there are way too many potholes even in otherwise decent roads and you may experience lots of flat tires.

Fortunately when you drive in the day there always seems to be plenty of help offered from other drivers, but a flat will definitely be a pain and delay you at minimum.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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If you have to travel around, hire a car and driver and leave the worrying to him!! it is far cheaper than renting, you might make a friend,and you won't have to go to jail, or suffer the consequences of the bad roads, poor drivers, and unusual quirks of driving in this place.

Just a suggestion, but 47 years here have given me a few insights...

HB
 

POPNYChic

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Jul 27, 2009
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hillbilly, where would we be able to hire a car and driver in POP? that would make our lives infinitely easier. i thought it would be too pricey? (suddenly, i am wondering if there are any unemployed local tigueres i know who would be up for it lol)

thanks for the driving tips, everyone! i am having him read this a couple times before we get there, if we cant work out a driver situation.