Driving at Night ??????

[bigbird]

I will be back in SD in a few weeks and may find the need to drive at night. I have done plenty of daytime driving in SD and BC with just the usual problems.

Does the Autopista de Las Americas have working street lights? Is the route from Ciudad Centro to Boca Chica doable at night? I am almost sure the stretch from the airport to BC lacks any street lighting. I drove this portion once at night in the pouring down rain. Luckily for me I had two other sets of eyes in the car. If it were not for the down pour I don't think the drive would have been that bad. At least at night I should not have to worry about the cows and the goats, they should be sleep.............right?

 

[Rocky]

I will be back in SD in a few weeks and may find the need to drive at night. I have done plenty of daytime driving in SD and BC with just the usual problems.

Does the Autopista de Las Americas have working street lights? Is the route from Ciudad Centro to Boca Chica doable at night? I am almost sure the stretch from the airport to BC lacks any street lighting. I drove this portion once at night in the pouring down rain. Luckily for me I had two other sets of eyes in the car. If it were not for the down pour I don't think the drive would have been that bad. At least at night I should not have to worry about the cows and the goats, they should be sleep.............right?

I'm glad you brought this subject up.
Driving at night can be extremely dangerous, as few people seem to understand that they should turn off their high beams, when there's an oncoming car.
If there's a lot of traffic, you're driving half blind, half the time.
So....
1) Make sure you have good strong functioning headlights.
2) Clean your windshield, inside and out.
3) Be on the constant look out for vehicles with no tail lights.
4) Be on the constant look out for animals and pedestrians, even on highways.
5) Try to get oncoming cars to turn down their lights by flashing yours.
6) Never stare into their headlights. Try to look a bit to the right, when they are blinding you.
7) Be reasonable with your cruising speed.

 

[Paulino]

I did some nighttime driving between SD and Boca Chica in January of 2003, without being very familiar with the area. The worst thing that happened to me was losing my way ending up at the gate of San Isidro AFB. Fortunately the airman at the gate asked two Nicaraguan officers who were just exiting from the base to guide me back to the city (avenida CdG) to find the Las Americas highway.

 

[Jan]

Most Dominicans I know try not to drive at night unless it is absolutely necessary. I used to find it soo funny when they would say "it will be getting dark soon we have to be leaving". Just thought they were big babies and were afraid of the dark.
Then I saw why after a few night trips. My opinion, do like the Dominicans do. Try to reach your destination or get back to the city before sundown.

 

[Chris]

If you can avoid it, don't drive at night.
Cows and goats graze at night .. sometimes right next to the road and they cross over if the grass is greener on the other side. You cannot see them until you're right on top of them. And then they turn around, get blinded by your car's headlights and stare at you while you're desperately trying to avoid a collision with a black cow staring at you.
People get drunk and stagger along next to the road. One time a fellow's life was spared as at the last minute I saw a glimmer from a bright strip on one of his shoes and could avoid him .. at the last minute.
Better to get there in the daytime!

 

[Rocky]

If you can avoid it, don't drive at night.
Cows and goats graze at night .. sometimes right next to the road and they cross over if the grass is greener on the other side. You cannot see them until you're right on top of them. And then they turn around, get blinded by your car's headlights and stare at you while you're desperately trying to avoid a collision with a black cow staring at you.
People get drunk and stagger along next to the road. One time a fellow's life was spared as at the last minute I saw a glimmer from a bright strip on one of his shoes and could avoid him .. at the last minute.
Better to get there in the daytime!

I've known several people who have hit cows, horses and dogs at night.
Some have been seriously injured, and at the very least, had costly repairs to their vehicles.

 

[CFA123]

Not sure if all will agree, but I'd qualify this and say that driving within cities at night is really not much of a problem if you know where you're going. To me, it's really the night trips from city to city that significantly increase your chance of a serious accident (cows, horses, burros, motos/cars without lights, parked cars in the road, high beams, big holes you don't see, etc)

 

[elrico]

dude you make it sound like there are not bad streets in usa and streets with no ligths

 

[alicious]

I'm glad you brought this subject up.
Driving at night can be extremely dangerous, as few people seem to understand that they should turn off their high beams, when there's an oncoming car.
If there's a lot of traffic, you're driving half blind, half the time.
So....
1) Make sure you have good strong functioning headlights.
2) Clean your windshield, inside and out.
3) Be on the constant look out for vehicles with no tail lights.
4) Be on the constant look out for animals and pedestrians, even on highways.
5) Try to get oncoming cars to turn down their lights by flashing yours.
6) Never stare into their headlights. Try to look a bit to the right, when they are blinding you.
7) Be reasonable with your cruising speed.

Excellent advice Rocky!! Hope ppl will follow it!!

I've always wondered why it is when driving along the highway at night that most Dominicans do not seem to grasp the concept of turning off their high beams when there is an oncoming car??????? To me this seems a common sense courtesy???....

As was mentioned..many Dominicans don't even like to do highway driving at night.

And animals on the road are a huge problem at night. I knew of someone who died from running into a cow at night...and at first I was really shocked, thinking how in the world can you not see a darn cow in the middle of the street? Until our car almost drove off the road trying to avoid a cow laying in the middle of the road, resting!!! We couldn't see it until the last moment. We stopped to check if it was injured..because it didn't even move after we beeped and swerved to avoid hitting it...nope! It was just sitting there on the road apparently as comfortable as can be...:ermm:

And of course....borrachos stumbling along the road...aranoid:

 

[rubio_higuey]

I still have not found out why the SEOPC cannot put reflective marks/strips in the middle and sides of the road/lane when they repair the road/pour new asphalt.
Like some roads are marked well, they have the yellow lines painted on the road, and even have reflective markings. With new asphalt and zero potholes they are pleasure to drive on.

But...

There is nothing worse than a newly laid black asphalt, unmarked, at night, when raining. You don't see anything. Absolutely nothing.

About 2 months ago I drove from San Francisco DM to Autopista Duarte, at night, in pouring rain. There were parts of road where I saw absolutely nothing and I was guiding myself by the taillights of the vehicle in front of me.

It was about 30 kms but was the most concentration-intensive driving experience I have ever had. I ended up with stiff neck and arm muscles, and a headache.

 

[Rocky]

It was about 30 kms but was the most concentration-intensive driving experience I have ever had. I ended up with stiff nexk and arm muscles, and a headache.

You got that right.
Driving 2 hours at night here is worse than a non stop 12 hour overnight drive in America.
It beats the heck out of your body and nerves.

 

[bigbird]

I think I will play it safe................

Not sure if all will agree, but I'd qualify this and say that driving within cities at night is really not much of a problem if you know where you're going. To me, it's really the night trips from city to city that significantly increase your chance of a serious accident?..

I agree with you 100%. I will drive short distances in the city at night because most streets will have some type of lighting. The light may be no more than the illumination from a colmado two blocks away, but it helps.

If I could be certain that the Autopista de Las Americas had street lighting it would not be a major concern. Then again it might be as there are no certainties in the DR. The stretch from the puente in SD to the toll plaza probably isn?t that bad but I know the last stretch from the airport to BC I would probably be putting my life in my own hands.

But...
There is nothing worse than a newly laid black asphalt, unmarked, at night, when raining. You don't see anything. Absolutely nothing.

I experienced that once, the road was not newly paved but it was black asphalt.

We were at a friend?s house and I tell those who are traveling with me let?s get ready to leave because I don?t want to drive at night. Well the lady seems to want to hug and kiss everyone before she leaves. Heck she is going to see them tomorrow.

Needless to say we left a few minutes late and about five minutes driving time away from BC the sky opens up in the night and the rain starts coming down big-time. The front seat passenger kept their head outside the window keeping an eye on the edge of the road while the rear seat passenger kept an eye out for approaching cars. I just held onto the steering wheel and a light foot pressure on the gas pedal. I never prayed so much in my life. I was doing all kind of religious gestures, even made up a few new ones.

When we finally pulled up in front of the hotel in BC I can still remember the relief I felt.

I have never seen a cow sleeping in the middle of the road at night, never had to just miss a drunk walking down the highway, don?t want to experience another rainy night so maybe my policy isn?t that bad after all.

If the Dominicans don?t like to drive at night that ought to tell me something.

I will stick with my current policy; don?t drive at night unless absolutely necessary. I will continue to do what I have been doing. Leave the car keys at the hotel and go out to enjoy some Cuba libres and nice cold Presidentes!

 

[Andy B]

"I have never seen a cow sleeping in the middle of the road at night, never had to just miss a drunk walking down the highway, don’t want to experience another rainy night so maybe my policy isn’t that bad after all."

I've dodged donkeys sleeping in the middle of the road near Luperon, swerved around drunk Dominicans passed out in the road, avoided the usual motors without taillights, been blinded by high beams and drowned by moonsoon rains with my head hanging out the driver's window while having to drive all over this island at night. Yes, it can be unnerving, but then after driving 6 abreast, 2 feet apart at almost 100mph on I-95 in south Florida during afternoon rush hour, I figure I can survive anything.

 

[Chip]

Driving here at night in the cities here is usually no problem if you know your way. Also, I have made the trip many times from PP to Santiago and Santiago and the capital many times without incident. I personally think it is always good to travel with a passenger and carry a map as well. I don't suggest that someone use the map to travel at night, rather one should know the way already and the map will act as a backup.

I have quite a few Dominicans that travcel in the pueblos around Santiago late at night withour incident, like Moca Salcedo, etc. Be careful and always make sure you know your way and make sure the gas tank is full.

 

[shinysam]

Driving at night outside of the city is very difficult but not suicidal if you apply some recomendations :
- as written before, be sure of your car conditions (lights, windshield cleanness,...)
- if there is no street light, use only roads that you have already used a lots of time, it is essential to avoid the policias acostados and the big holes of the roads
- driving slowly
I usually drive at night in DR whithout any problems but when I leave the city, it is only for short distances, on well known roads.

 

[laurapasinifan]

well the trip you want to take is a good road. There are many that are a LOT worse....the trip wont be bad if you have good lights on you vehicle...check them and make sure the car you rent has the lights adjusted right....dont expect the other drivers coming at you to turn off their high beams...the biggest counter you have is strong high beams on your car.,.....flashing them at the on coming driver works about 50% of the time in the DR. You shouldnt encounter too many pedestrians on that trip until you get into SD. I made that trip four times and I dont remember many animals( other than dogs and they dont do much damage...DONT SWERVE FOR DOGS!!!...no sense running off the road into a tree for a stray dog...hit the brakes for sure..DONT SWRVE... there are just too many...now a horse and or a cow or big goat.is another story, but like I said...i am not sure you will see too many on that trip.

the biggest fear is bad windshield wipers, poor headlights and rain!!!!!

it is VERY bad on a road though a place like Licey, or Moca or SPDM...because so many people walk on those streets and the rain reflects lights from all over...and most rental companies dont replace the wiper blades often enough.....if you rent and it might rain...go buy a new set...about 300 pesos.

I drove at night from SPDM to Boca Chica and the road was wide and smooth, but no lights!!!! BLACK....

good luck

bob

ps make sure your tail lights work good as well...you dont want some jerk ass ending you , because you are driving slow enough to make sure you dont hit anything, and he is driving like a ..like a...like a dominican!

 

[sepahunt22]

I drove from Las Terrenas in Samana to Santo Domingo at night on the new highway that was recently built. I had no problems at all, and there were police at every tollbooth (3 tollbooths in all).
And, I have driven inside the cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago at night without any problems, more times than I can remember. The cities are well lit just like any city in America.
Driving in desolate areas at night on bad roads is another thing, however. For instance I would NEVER drive at night on the highway that runs from Sosua to Nagua. It's bad enough in the daytime with all the bumps, but at night it'd be dangerous for a lot of reasons.
In the cities though, you're safe.