accident involving caribe tours bus

[Harleysrock]

That has been the first time I have ever heard anyone say they prefer driving in the captiol. LOL. The one time I drove in SD I almost lost my mind and don't know how I got out of there without being hit by another car. Having travelled to 10+ countries - most of which in Latin America and the Caribbean I cant recall a place worse or more terrifying to drive than SD.

First time we drove there I felt the same especially at night in rush hour, now when we drive there I wonder what stressed me out so much. You get used to it, still is annoying that you can't really relax when driving.

 

[arturo]

You nailed it, the key to avoiding accidents is you must NEVER relax. You have to drive responsibly (something that comes naturally to any experienced driver with basic training) AND you must also drive defensively on behalf of all the other drivers who make no effort to drive safely (the common practices are well documented on DR1). You have to assume tailgating, unsafe turns, and meaningless horn honking, or you will be at high risk of collision.

First time we drove there I felt the same especially at night in rush hour, now when we drive there I wonder what stressed me out so much. You get used to it, still is annoying that you can't really relax when driving.

 

[leromero]

You nailed it, the key to avoiding accidents is you must NEVER relax. You have to drive responsibly (something that comes naturally to any experienced driver with basic training) AND you must also drive defensively on behalf of all the other drivers who make no effort to drive safely (the common practices are well documented on DR1). You have to assume tailgating, unsafe turns, and meaningless horn honking, or you will be at high risk of collision.

Totally agree. I've rented cars the last 3 or 4 trips I've made to Santo Domingo with a lot of driving between SD and Azua. Be alert always and expect someone to do something stupid. If you drive in the DR like you drive in the US you will get splattered.

 

[frank recktenwald]

The truck drivers and the bus drivers in this country are a law unto themselves.They have absolutely no respect for car drivers nand often push cars to the dirt edges of roads to get past. Sorry for the victims and their families and I suppose my number will come up one day on these Dominican hell roads

They don't have to respect anybody, they have God on their side!!!!
Look at all the stickers etc

 

[Jaime809]

FredBlogs, you hit the nail squarely on the head. Dominicans do not have the patience required to operate motor vehicles. there is some intrinsic quality which dictates to them that it is obligatory to overtake anything in front of them. it is cultural. a guy will take the greatest risk, endangering his life, and the lives of bystanders, in order to overtake, then stop 10 yards later.

It's not a Dominican thing, it's a human thing. Drivers do it in Chicago, LA, NYC all the time. Some metro areas are worse than others, but it's certainly not solely a DR sensibility.

 

[Jaime809]

don't you just love it when you put the indicator on to make a left turn, and there is some chimp who decides to pass you on the left? or, how about when you are making a right, and there is a motoconcho on the inside..

Some countries treat the turn signal as the side you are allowed to pass on, as opposed to a turn signal. Mexico follows this convention, and it seems DR does as well.