Driving in DR

[Mauricio]

The rules of the road doesn't exist here. Well, there is one: The gringo is always at fault.

At best, rules of the road are a suggestion towards what the traffic may be doing. It's more like pedestrian traffic in a crowded mall. You tend to hang to the right, but not required. You tend to let the oncoming people pass before turning left into a store, but not always. The bratty kids running around are like motos and pasolas. The obese/geriatric crowd are on electric scooters running at a 1/5 of the traffic speed. People stop just to chat or for unknown reasons. There are people that bump into everybody and have no concept of personal space are the taxis that like to swap paint like DNA to a grinder/tinder user. Despite your best efforts, you bump into people. It's normal. That's DR driving.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud the efforts to start enforcing the rules. It's definitely time, a great source of revenue, and a way to start dealing with the egregious risk takers. Like the US or Europe, it's never going to be a perfect system (until we remove the human element).

Great analogy!!

 

[dv8]

another video in the series:

[video=youtube;NrUkbdHTdzM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrUkbdHTdzM[/video]

 

[drstock]

Note that in the above video the moto rider was actually wearing a helmet. However, as usual here, he hadn't bothered to do the strap up, so of course it flew off in the accident, making it completely useless.

 

[Meemselle]

I worked in trauma ER and ICU for years. I was lucky to get the patients after excellent public and private EMS. God bless Taxachusetts. Freaked me out. Now I'm happier in Neuro. Less bloody.

I have a nephew in Onset, MA who works as an EMT. He loves to tell me stories of what he sees and what he does, bc I have a VERY low threshold for pain---personal or described---but you know what? Most of his outcomes are good.

 

[Meemselle]

In at least two of these videos, a pedestrian and cyclist was within mere feet of an out of control vehicular projectile. Amazing that both were lucky enough to avoid getting crunched. I assume this is not always the case for the truly innocent that are just ambling by at the wrong time.*

Read my blog on the subject. Just crossing Rte. 5 at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning 3 years ago....

 

[ju10prd]

This guy on a moto flew.....

[video=youtube_share;sfi_xNcz_fo]https://youtu.be/sfi_xNcz_fo[/video]

 

[ju10prd]

[video=youtube_share;YrhKTrre0bU]https://youtu.be/YrhKTrre0bU[/video]

 

[spartanx15]

Let 'em lie and use them as speed bumps.

 

[Me_again]

The rules of the road doesn't exist here. Well, there is one: The gringo is always at fault.

At best, rules of the road are a suggestion towards what the traffic may be doing. It's more like pedestrian traffic in a crowded mall. You tend to hang to the right, but not required. You tend to let the oncoming people pass before turning left into a store, but not always. The bratty kids running around are like motos and pasolas. The obese/geriatric crowd are on electric scooters running at a 1/5 of the traffic speed. People stop just to chat or for unknown reasons. There are people that bump into everybody and have no concept of personal space are the taxis that like to swap paint like DNA to a grinder/tinder user. Despite your best efforts, you bump into people. It's normal. That's DR driving.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud the efforts to start enforcing the rules. It's definitely time, a great source of revenue, and a way to start dealing with the egregious risk takers. Like the US or Europe, it's never going to be a perfect system (until we remove the human element).

Good comparison.

wbr

 

[Quanticko]

Have anyone heard about some app, that is going to be launched on the governmental level that will block phone calls while driving? I've heard US is going to launch it... does this applies to DR?

 

[GringoRubio]

Have anyone heard about some app, that is going to be launched on the governmental level that will block phone calls while driving? I've heard US is going to launch it... does this applies to DR?

It's been tried (AT&T a few years ago), but there's no way to tell if you're the driver or passenger so easy to disable. For example, it seems to be the favorite past-time on the guagua. I think the phone companies and handset manufacturers were concerned about litigation about texting and driving injuries and fatalities.

Now everybody just accepts that drivers are weaving all over the read. I was an avid cyclist, but it's just too dangerous now.

 

[bob saunders]

I just watched two motos crash at the intersection next to the school. Neither stopped, and yes there are PARE signs on two sides. They both blamed each other so the cops were called and watched the whole incident on our camera, and fined them both and told them they have to pay for their own damage. Lucky that neither was hurt or carrying passengers.
AMET were really busy yesterday stopping motos with more than one passenger or with children.

 

[ju10prd]

You have to laugh at this example of a Dominican ignoring traffic rules taken to the extreme. They build a cycle track down the central reservation on Churchill in downtown Santo Domingo and the clown in the video in the below news article uses it as a short cut. And AMET are now trying to track him down. (not sure how to post the video).


http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...la-ciclovia-de-la-winston-churchill-YF5362771

 

[ju10prd]

Pedestrian now in on the act ignoring traffic signs and getting hit........

[video=youtube_share;GqtK2YrrfCg]https://youtu.be/GqtK2YrrfCg[/video]

 

[Quanticko]

There are irresponsible ones among both, pedestrians and drivers …

 

[Mauricio]

You have to laugh at this example of a Dominican ignoring traffic rules taken to the extreme. They build a cycle track down the central reservation on Churchill in downtown Santo Domingo and the clown in the video in the below news article uses it as a short cut. And AMET are now trying to track him down. (not sure how to post the video).


http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...la-ciclovia-de-la-winston-churchill-YF5362771

They found the guy and his answer: "I'm sorry, I won't do it again, it had been a while that I drove around that area and I thought that lane was to turn to the Supermarket....."*

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1dRJZRPOzVAJB

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...r-la-isleta-de-la-winston-churchill-GC5370866

They made a big show of it..it's like if he made an attempt on the presidents life.*

 

[ju10prd]

Reason not to drive at night exemplified here.......and likewise take care on Sundays too......

[video=youtube_share;l3pZfVkcQRM]https://youtu.be/l3pZfVkcQRM[/video]

 

[arturo]

The pedestrian should not have jay walked but the moto clearly did not respect the cross walk. The moto also appears to have been going to fast, but that is hardly surprising.

There are irresponsible ones among both, pedestrians and drivers …

 

[arturo]

I think you missed the point of this video. The lesson is NEVER cross an intersection without looking both ways, especially if you are traveling at a high rate of speed. "Never" means it does not matter whether or not you are passing a green light or the whether the cross street has a stop sign. Those things matter in countries where most drivers follow traffic rules.
"Never" means it does not matter whether it is night time or whether it is Sunday. Ignore this advice at your peril.

Reason not to drive at night exemplified here.......and likewise take care on Sundays too......

[video=youtube_share;l3pZfVkcQRM]https://youtu.be/l3pZfVkcQRM[/video]

 

[GringoRubio]

Reason not to drive at night exemplified here.......and likewise take care on Sundays too......

Both of these cars were not treating the intersections as uncontrolled, you can't venture forth until you verify that the intersection is clear. Also, you need to look for vehicles without lights, so anybody with less that excellent night vision shouldn't be driving.