Driving in Peru

An interesting topic. I can comment on this after driving around Lima and various trips in the central region for 5 years.
The traffic is usually heavy and in Lima if you go away from the coastal districts it is usually jammed except on Sundays. Drivers are very rude and not caring unless you make eye contact and ask permission to change lanes.  However; most are very skilled and will come very close to you and surprisingly do not hit you, most of the time.
The police usually don't bother you except for going against traffic on one way streets or failing to stop at signs and signals; but be sure to stop at road blocks when they display their baton to you. On my 200 km frequent trips north of Lima I usually get stopped twice and once four times.  If your lights and seat belts are on and you have registration, insurance and a driver's licence, the process is quick.  Sometimes they ask for your passport and entry slip, carnet or DNI (national identity document for citizens.  Be careful with the police, there is a table of fines which start arount 500 soles, very expensive and bothersome to pay; unlike parking violations which if you have a soles bank account you can pay on-line and can cost less than 100 soles.  I have found speaking nicely to the police you often can go with only a warning, but you have to have a good story with a reason to let you go.

Speeding- Never heard of anyone getting stopped for this, but I once was stopped because an overheard camera clocked me 65 km/hr on a clear wide open highway to Ventanilla in a 60 km/hr posted zone.
Lastly, in Lima parking is a big problem.

Well i think Russ is being very kind and diplomatic.

It is true everyone pays more attention to their driving in Lima. This is only because everyone knows there is likely to be at any moment someone driving at speed or driving with too little sleep, driving and taking out their frustrations about any niggle in their personal life onto their aggressive driving style. I call it style but really it is just aggression.

It is true in all capitals in the world the driving gets worse and the courtesy decreases but Lima has another level.
In Buenos Aires they daily nearly knock you down but thats because their happily talking with a friend.

In other countries it might be because they are distracted bu a beautiful woman or man.

but in Lima..its because they have a perverse dark pleasure in looking you in the eye if your a pedestrian and putting their foot down

you see children in the park take the same pleasure in frightening birds. it shows and feels you have at least some power over your life when your in your car.

weekly a bus will fall into a canyon and kill people. weekly a combi will cause the death of people.daily you take your life in your hands crossing streets. Part of the problem is the people who make decisions about enforcing laws or insisting the traffic police do something more than brush their uniform, never walk, they are always in cars or  taxi or with a chofer.
I ride a bike and wow is that FUN FUN FUN..... Iam going to have chariot spikes put on my linda bic and see what happens when some scratches start appearing on car doors who think half a centimeter is enough space !

Its bad in lima driving. Its worse if your walking or riding.