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What are the unwritten rules of driving here?
Does anyone on this board stop for “Stop” signs in Costa Rica? The Ticos never seem to stop – ever. How do you see the driving rules here and when the police are around do you still run stop signs and traffic lights? My friends frequently ask about how it is to drive here, and I have my opinions but would like the opinions of others.
I drive like the Ticos for the most part. Of course, that means that when I drive in Miami, I get more than my share of moving violations. But I have never been ticketed in Costa Rica and was only stopped once upon entering San Ramon where the police had set up to pull cars over. They only asked to see my license and passport and asked what my business was. And then we chatted briefly and in a friendly manner about an unrelated topic.
The lady in front of me appeared to have been stopped for using her cell phone while driving. I sure wish they would make that illegal inFlorida as well.
I have seen school buses that execute a rolling stop for a red light. Driving rules in CR are optional and honking of horns is a language of its own.
Wow! I got nervous for a second….I thought you were going to say you saw children exiting the school bus while rolling, lol.
My motto is: “Drive like a Tico, die like a Tico.”
Generally, the rules are very flexible. That is, most traffic “controls” (stop signs, etc) are treated as advisory rather than governing. If it’s safe to roll through an intersection, go ahead. The only violation I’ve ever been cited for is driving the wrong way on a one-way street. The cop was right and I was wrong.
In general, Costa Ricans drive like they have a death wish, but their attitudes remain positive. They’ll change lanes without signalling, pull out in front of you, etc, but they’ll never give you “the finger”.
Whatever negative can be said of Costa Rican car drivers must be reiterated ten times over with respect to motorcyclists. For them, there are no rules whatsoever, so watch yourself every step of the way.
Pedestrians get no special consideration in Costa Rica. They won’t give up the part of the road they’re walking on and drivers won’t give them the right of way.
A blinking turn signal means nothing if you’re trying to blend into traffic, but if you put your arm out the window someone will let in you with a smile. Your passenger can help you merge to the right.
The Transito Policia set up many roadblocks to check licenses, inspection and marchamo stickers, etc. Pretend not to speak Spanish but smile a lot and you’ll do fine. They’re very polite.
Edited on Oct 26, 2008 05:36
It seems that for the most part that you endorse following the driving customs here. Would forigners in Costa Rica do better following the customs here in general, or should they behave according to thier home country culture. Should they assimilate with Tico culture or should they try to change it by stopping at stop signs, etc.
I believe it may be safer to drive in Costa Rica as the Ticos rather than drive as an aging gringo or Canadian would drive up north. It’s all about expectations. Learn quickly how the Ticos behave on the road and you might avoid a nasty surprise. You wouldn’t want to come to a complete stop at a stop sign when the only traffic is the Tico behind you who is NOT expecting anyone to stop if there is no oncoming traffic.
Actually, he has the right idea. It is kind of stupid to obey signs instead of a reality they may not be reflecting.Edited on Oct 26, 2008 14:50
I think the best approach is to drive very, very defensively and be alert to how others are likely to drive. If the guy approaching the Stop sign on your right might not actually stop for it, you’d better. Even a minor “fender bender” accident here involves lots of on-site investigation and paperwork. If the guy behind you won’t stop tailgating, slow down until he gets bored and passes. If in doubt, yield the right of way to the other guy.
Whenever I’m driving, I try to behave like someone whom the natives would welcome on their roads. While it’s not common to yield to pedestrians, I often do especially if they’re elderly, have small children or are carrying a bunch of stuff. If in doubt, I actively yield to other drivers, too.
Remember, we’ll always be guests here.
Edited on Oct 27, 2008 04:29
Like David, I often signal to pedestrians that I’m yielding to them, and the genuine smiles of gratitude sent my way are worth it! I also sometimes yield to other drivers – with a hand signal so there’s no doubt what I’m doing – and while smiling less than the pedestrians, I do sometimes receive small smiles of acknowledgement.
JimOften, some of the worst driving and parking offenses I see, are from the tourists….drive with your eyes open, and courteous…and above all, watch the speed limit….I too have been stopped by the “radar” and just sent on my way…again…..be courteous….
David is right. Like the big guy in Butch Cassidy said about knife fights, “There are no rules.” So the only way to drive is to be really, really aware of everything, everywhere. In Perez Zeledon, cars share the road with semis, delivery trucks, ATVs, motorcycles, motor scooters, bicycles and pedestrians and occasionally, horses. The only rule that seems to apply to all of them is “Stay alert or die.” That’s why you see so many haloed hearts painted on the pavement.
Stop signs in Costa Rica are equivalent to yield signs up in the States. If you approach an intersection with a stop sign, you need only to slow down and if no cars are coming down the intersecting street, you can zip across with no worry about a ticket. If there is an approaching car, you give him the right of way — unless you can goose your accelerator so that you can cross the intersection before he hits you. Don’t worry about the pedestrian in the crosswalk on the other side. He or she knows the stay-alert or die rule.
In America, our roads became crowded over a period of several generations and we were able to adapt at a manageable rate. We changed our driving habits and we expanded our highway system. The Ticos haven’t had this luxury. In a very short period of time, Costa Rica roads have been flooded with vehicles driven by inexperienced steerers. (I hesitate to call them drivers.) There’s been no opportunity for parents to pass good driving habits along to their children. Few people have been driving long enough to develop good habits, like keeping a steady speed on the open highway.
The Interamericana passes through Perez Zeledon. Often when I’m trying to enter the highway, I see openings appear and disappear in the traffic. The problem is there is no steady traffic flow. Each vehicle is traveling at a different speed. Often a vehicle speeds up or slows down seemingly at the driver’s whim. There is never any predictable, lasting space between vehicles. In Chicago, when I’m trying to merge with traffic, I’m used to a driver speeding up to make sure I don’t merge in front of him. I’m used to dealing with that type of aggressiveness. I’ll wait and slide in behind him. In Costa Rica, the opening could disappear because the driver behind speeds up or because the driver in front slows down. They aren’t acting out of meanness to me. They just have an erratic foot on the gas pedal.
Riding my Honda in Chicago has helped me develop my situational awareness. One must be alert to all possible contingencies. That same situational awareness is invaluable when driving in Costa Rica.
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