Driving in DR

[arturo]

You make an excellent point. A green light does not mean go (at least not to drivers interested in safety). A green light is a signal that it is safe to slowly move to a position from which you can judge whether crossing traffic has stopped. If it has stopped, you can then safely proceed. Many drivers see it differently; that is why it is important to be consistent.

I don't mean to be tedious. I make these points in the spirit of us helping each other to avoid sad situations.

these videos could be in Houston. Red light violations are so common almost no one hurries to move forward on a green.

 

[arturo]

Exactly! Treat every intersection as uncontrolled, including intersections where an AMET agent is directing traffic. I don't understand the mentality of flying through blind corners with your horn blaring. It's selfish in so many ways. People who do it are disturbing the neighborhoods and endangering pedestrians and other drivers. One of the video shows Gomez and one of the major east/west avenues. All of those intersections are controlled by traffic signals but it's as if the traffic signals don't exist unless there are cars stopped at the intersection. Drivers just fly through as if they are on an open stretch of the Bonneville flats. I don't have a lot of patience for the idea that it takes scary videos to understand the risks. I subscribe to the theory that if you treat the public like imbeciles the public will carry on acting like imbeciles. Vehicle confiscations, handcuffs, and work details collecting trash would turn the tide.

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.

 

[GringoRubio]

I subscribe to the theory that if you treat the public like imbeciles the public will carry on acting like imbeciles. Vehicle confiscations, handcuffs, and work details collecting trash would turn the tide.

In my version, I call it the stupid tax. Why punish people for working hard and doing everything right with taxes? Instead we should have the stupid tax where anti-social activity from pollution, noise, litter, moving violations, drug use, and a very long list of inane activities are heavily taxed to offset the taxes that the good people would pay if it wasn't for the generous contributions of idiots everywhere. I'd even support an "idiot day" where (through irony and comedy) we appreciate the contribution that idiots make to our society.

 

[ju10prd]

Exactly! Treat every intersection as uncontrolled, including intersections where an AMET agent is directing traffic. I don't understand the mentality of flying through blind corners with your horn blaring. It's selfish in so many ways. People who do it are disturbing the neighborhoods and endangering pedestrians and other drivers. One of the video shows Gomez and one of the major east/west avenues. All of those intersections are controlled by traffic signals but it's as if the traffic signals don't exist unless there are cars stopped at the intersection. Drivers just fly through as if they are on an open stretch of the Bonneville flats. I don't have a lot of patience for the idea that it takes scary videos to understand the risks. I subscribe to the theory that if you treat the public like imbeciles the public will carry on acting like imbeciles. Vehicle confiscations, handcuffs, and work details collecting trash would turn the tide.

It is a fact of life driving in Santo Domingo that if the intersection does not have lights and even if there are stop signs and markings, that you pass with extreme caution.

I used to live close to the intersection of Helios and Defillio which had stop signs and markings at all 4 junctions. Had no effect and the number of new and expensive cars involved in accidents at that junction was quite remarkable. There as a tendency for vehicles rushing up and down Defillio from 27th to Anacaona to ignore the other traffic. For a pedestrian to cross was a 'hail mary'.

It will take a long time to correct the wrongs, if at all, through a series of measures. Accept there is not the necessary numbers and quality of traffic policing around.

Just think back in out home countries we have a whole raft of traffic policing in place to include fixed speed cameras, intersection cameras, average speed cameras, traffic wardens and wheel clamps, proper signage and road markings, police with equipped vehicles, just to name a few.

The fact that some expats are finding the incidents remarkable tells me that they haven't driven much in the country and to that end the videos are useful.

Just earlier I was driving along Independencia towards Nunez and mentally I was clocking up all the infractions occurring around me and concentrating on my defensive driving mode. No point getting hot under the collar rather pray and hope for a better future.

 

[CristoRey]

Drive it like you stole it... no wait, I was only joking :cheeky:
I?d have to say all of those companies looking to develope and
manufacture driverless cars have a lot of potential down here.

 

[GringoRubio]

Drive it like you stole it... no wait, I was only joking :cheeky:
I?d have to say all of those companies looking to develope and
manufacture driverless cars have a lot of potential down here.

I have an impossible time envisioning a driverless car here. It's more likely that a coordinated team of pasolas would corral it into a blind alley only for the confused driverless car to lose consciousness and it's harvested organs show up in small shops marked with repuesto usado signs.

 

[Mauricio]

You make an excellent point. A green light does not mean go (at least not to drivers interested in safety). A green light is a signal that it is safe to slowly move to a position from which you can judge whether crossing traffic has stopped. If it has stopped, you can then safely proceed. Many drivers see it differently; that is why it is important to be consistent.

I don't mean to be tedious. I make these points in the spirit of us helping each other to avoid sad situations.

I think you overreact a little bit. Green for me is go ahead without hesitation albeit watching if some fool runs a red light. I find Dominican drivers careless and often idiots but with good reflexes.

 

[ju10prd]

I don't think we have had this one of a woman driver doing the make up whilst driving.....

[video=youtube_share;ZtkJd0ol_5A]https://youtu.be/ZtkJd0ol_5A[/video]

 

[windeguy]

The easiest way to think of driving in the DR (or most of Asia) is to assume that cars, motorcycles, and other things capable of moving, *will come out of nowhere and everywhere at any time and hit you. Then you begin to get the feel for driving here.*

 

[Mauricio]

 

[Mauricio]

The easiest way to think of driving in the DR (or most of Asia) is to assume that cars, motorcycles, and other things capable of moving, *will come out of nowhere and everywhere at any time and hit you. Then you begin to get the feel for driving here.*

sorry for the dislike, don't know how that happened*

 

[lifeisgreat]

Driving in DR is like a video game with one life...I say let your teenagers drive:bunny:

 

[arturo]

I think we are saying the same thing. I don't really see a downside to driving with extra care. Your "without hesitation" comment is precisely the reason for my caution.

I think you overreact a little bit. Green for me is go ahead without hesitation albeit watching if some fool runs a red light. I find Dominican drivers careless and often idiots but with good reflexes.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

Wow - I really have a different view of traffic here. It is fairly organised and most people drive carefully but in an individual manner.*

So far so good. One scrape in 13 years😀

 

[GringoRubio]

Wow - I really have a different view of traffic here. It is fairly organised and most people drive carefully but in an individual manner.*

So far so good. One scrape in 13 years��

Where is this island of sanity?

 

[ju10prd]

There is a new transport law proposed. One of the extracts in a recent news article on the law was as the attachment below.

I particularly like the proposal for the use of a vehicle horn in the proposals as below.........I live nearby 30 de Mayo in the capital and some of the trucks using this route blast continuously their horns whilst travelling at speed....... to intimidate imo. But the new rule will likely be ignored and interpreted to result in zero change in attitude imo.

 

[kapitan75]

After viewing these videos, and the accidents I have encountered, I dont think i will drive in the city areas again
Running red lights, stop signs, passing on curves, and driving way too fast is just plain ignorance and irresponsible. I can understand those young dudes showing off, but people grow out of it. Drinking heavy in a blacked out car, at 3 in the morning, even on empty roads is asking for it. To many queros on pasolas going home at that time.

 

[ju10prd]

After viewing these videos, and the accidents I have encountered, I dont think i will drive in the city areas again
Running red lights, stop signs, passing on curves, and driving way too fast is just plain ignorance and irresponsible. I can understand those young dudes showing off, but people grow out of it. Drinking heavy in a blacked out car, at 3 in the morning, even on empty roads is asking for it. To many queros on pasolas going home at that time.

Sometimes I think the same but continue.

An example of how an accident can happen in what would think an unlikely place causing plenty of injuries was reported today in DR1 news. Just by the floating bridge over the Ozama at the junction of the road down from Av. Mexico.

Seven-vehicle traffic accident in Santa B?rbara
Seven vehicles were involved in a major collision on Wednesday evening, 16 November 2016 at the corner of Juan Parra with the Avenida del Puerto (Av. Francisco Alberto Caama?o) in the Santa B?rbara area in Santo Domingo.

Seven people were injured, with two in critical condition – 38-year old Ram?n Mieses and his nephew 16-year old Delbi Contreras who were taken to the Dar?o Contreras Trauma Hospital.

The accident occurred when the driver of a tour bus hit the brakes and skidded on construction material that had fallen from another vehicle on the road. As a result, the bus collided with a freight truck, and then three automoviles and a SUV slammed into the vehicles. A motorcycle driver was also hit.

The accident, which caused major traffic chaos, occurred only 70 meters from the floating bridge over the Ozama River at around 7pm, a peak travel time, as reported by Metropolitan Transport Authority spokesman Diego Pesquiera. According to preliminary reports, the vehicles involved in the crash were a gray Honda Accord driven by Miguel Fern?ndez, a Honda CRV driven by Yoselin Veloz Matos, an International truck driven by Hansel Daniel Medina and a RAV4.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repub...-santa-barbara



https://www.google.com.do/maps/@18.4802786,-69.8838879,18.16z

All part of driving in DR.

 

[ju10prd]

Who Needs Cycle Tracks Anyhow?

[video=youtube_share;O6eaiTnO2M4]https://youtu.be/O6eaiTnO2M4[/video]

DR1 News today......

Freight truck also crosses over bicycle trail

A new video showing a freight trucker crossing over the Av. Winston Churchill cycle lane in Santo Domingo is being shared on social media. Originally a pedestrian walkway, ever since the previous city government installed the short cycle lane during the last months of the 2016 municipal election campaign, it has been used by drivers trying to avoid traffic jams.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repub...e-la-churchill

 

[arturo]

Any reasonable observer will agree with the provisions as stated. They are consistent with international safety norms. I believe your prediction of widespread flouting will turn out to be true.

There is a new transport law proposed. One of the extracts in a recent news article on the law was as the attachment below.

I particularly like the proposal for the use of a vehicle horn in the proposals as below.........I live nearby 30 de Mayo in the capital and some of the trucks using this route blast continuously their horns whilst travelling at speed....... to intimidate imo. But the new rule will likely be ignored and interpreted to result in zero change in attitude imo.