Driving in Puerto Rico

Here is something I posted a while back on some of the [lighthearted] rules of driving in PR:

I pretty much see one or more of these on a daily basis:

*If you dont like the posted speed limit, feel free to adjust it accordingly.  Want to go 25mph in a 50mph zone?  No problem.  Want to do 50 in a 25?  Rock on.  Standard procedure for cab drivers.

*If your exit is coming up, move all the way over to the furthest left lane.  Then, when you are right up on your exit, immediately cut across all available lanes and make your exit.  (Cant tell you how many times I've seen this).  And, if you miss your exit, dont worry.  Just put it in reverse and back up to your exit.

*If your red light is taking too long, just go through it.  If there's a cop behind you, dont worry  they'll either do nothing at all or take your advice and do the same thing.

*Need to use your computer while driving?  Your steering wheel makes a lovely laptop desk.

*If the lanes are too narrow, simply take up a couple or migrate back and forth between them. 

*If you see a friend up ahead, just stop in your lane and have a chat.  Pay no attention to the line forming behind you. (Happens all the time in OSJ, Condado, & Isla Verde)

*If all the cars ahead of you seem to be swerving, be prepared to do the same.  They're probably just avoiding the monstrous potholes that never seem to get filled.

*If you get tired of driving, simply come to a complete stop (preferably in the middle lane of a busy highway) and switch drivers.

*For heaven's sake, do not use your turn signal!  Or, if you must, dab a bit of glue into the indicator so it stays on permanently. 

In all seriousness, when we moved here, several of our friends (native Puerto Ricans) gave us some really helpful advice:

*If you're first in line at a red light, don't be so quick to go.  There maybe one, or two, or six cars going through the opposite red light.

*Be careful with your horn.  In the past, there have been several violent encounters with drivers honking their horns.

Now that we've been here a little over two years, we've adjusted to the driving with no problems.  It is actually quite entertaining witnessing some of the craziness! 

Also, I must say that driving around the metro area, I haven't witnessed any aggressive or 'road-rage' type behavior that was common along the I-95 corridor of the northeast.

Pretty funny but true.
You missed passing two or more lanes of traffic by driving at high speed on the breakdown lane.
Also missed skipping a 12 car long line at the light by passing everyone using the opposite direction lane and then turning right in front of the car at the front of the line while the light is still red.

Those very pleasant and slow life rules do not apply when they are driving some motor vehicle. After all there has to be some exception to island time.
Any car without a dent probably just came out of the showroom or just arrived in the island.

It can get pretty crazy around here!

We've been pulled over for speeding a couple of times so I don't totally agree with not following the speed limit. We've also been pulled over for no seat belt. I've heard of friends who have gotten pulled over for using a cell phone while driving as well.

I would say the most important thing to remember is to pay attention at all times, ignore the phone or requests from the kids in the back, and just drive. Anything can happen at any minute. I do love that, on the west side of the island, anyone will let you into traffic at any time. Don't expect the same courtesy in the metro area.

I was laughing so hard reading the above posts. We've seen it all!

You forgot about the fact that there is no "fast lane" or "passing lane"... go fast or slow in either lane, doesn't matter. And it you are not sure if you want to exit, or don't know if it is exit only, just drive in between both lanes so you have a choice.

I was driving very slowly through Pinones this summer and an officer on his police horse (Tito)  hit my car and backed in the side. No problema - "Tito tiene seguro" Tito has insurance - is what the officers told me. Still waiting for my check At least he gave my kids a ride on Tito while waiting for his supervisor!

Rules are there are no rules !!!! Stay off the road on Friday and Saturday nights especially if not your asking for trouble!!!! I'm from New York where I thought it was bad !!! In all my years of driving and traveling I can honestly say I have not seen a place worse when it comes to driving!!! But that aside I love it here and the people are very friendly!!! Just seems to be the culture here !!!!

jenbradshaw wrote:

It can get pretty crazy around here!

We've been pulled over for speeding a couple of times so I don't totally agree with not following the speed limit. We've also been pulled over for no seat belt. I've heard of friends who have gotten pulled over for using a cell phone while driving as well.

I would say the most important thing to remember is to pay attention at all times, ignore the phone or requests from the kids in the back, and just drive. Anything can happen at any minute. I do love that, on the west side of the island, anyone will let you into traffic at any time. Don't expect the same courtesy in the metro area.

I was laughing so hard reading the above posts. We've seen it all!

Sorry we did not meant for you to break the rules, we meant what you will observe while driving and we were being sarcastic. Don't get a ticket.

Your area seems to have a lot more police than most other areas, that is why they can get away with breaking all those rules or you stick out like a sore thumb and cops find you sweet.
BTW Trekridder is very funny!!!!!

suzanne12345 wrote:

I was driving very slowly through Pinones this summer

Pinones is a great place to go, there are a lot of very shallow pools for kids to play in and a lot of "Fresh Frituras". However I recommend a heavy hand with the mosquito spray, I was there a few days ago and I left with about 12 bites that I did not feel until much later when they started to itch.

The police presence increase on the weekends. Too many drivers like the cerveza too much. Specially towards beach towns and areas of heavy traffic. I noticed on my last trip the road blocks on the western side of the island. We were leaving La Parguera one night and the cops were stopping everyone leaving town.

My biggest grief is "slower traffic keep right" doesn't exist in PR. It doesn't matter how much close you tail them or wiggle in your lane - or flash the headlights. They simply won't let speed up or slow down to facilitate faster traffic in the left lane.

I also seem to notice that there are lots of BUSTED broken down cars rolling around during the week with door dings and dents. I see why the locals leave their nicer car at home because it really seems to be a destruction derby - especially Fajardo / 60 Kioskos areas.

I've also personally seen motorcycles hit cars side-view mirrors as they split the lanes and keep going. LOL. Good stuff.

BABY J wrote:

My biggest grief is "slower traffic keep right" doesn't exist in PR. It doesn't matter how much close you tail them or wiggle in your lane - or flash the headlights. They simply won't let speed up or slow down to facilitate faster traffic in the left lane.

I also seem to notice that there are lots of BUSTED broken down cars rolling around during the week with door dings and dents. I see why the locals leave their nicer car at home because it really seems to be a destruction derby - especially Fajardo / 60 Kioskos areas.

I've also personally seen motorcycles hit cars side-view mirrors as they split the lanes and keep going. LOL. Good stuff.

Those motorcycles have the risk of the two cars on its side getting closer together and getting pinched in between.

As to scrapes, dings and general car damage, most people only get collision insurance which they get when they pay their car taxes for about 35 dollars or so. It only covers the other guy, so a lot of repairs don't get done. As I said previously, the only cars without damage, just came out off the show room or just arrived in the island. Minor accidents are very common.

Slow traffic on the left .... first they have to look at the rear view mirror which is something they forget to do a lot. Next they have to care if you are there or not. They figure there are two lanes, so you can pass them on the right.

While they are slow, are you sure you are not going too fast? The speed sign is in kilometers and the biggest dial in your car is in miles, so they may be going at the speed limit, but you may be measuring based on the miles per hours. Cops love new comers as a source of income, we use the miles speed dial not the Kilometer scale.

But you are right some are going below the speed limit on the left lane so it is not always you. If they are just going a short distance they tend to drive slow, if they are talking they tend to drive slow and if they are blasting their music they tend to drive fast.

What I'm trying to figure out is the people here seem to be very friendly and generally very accommodating except when driving ? Why people drive the way they do anywhere is either because of rudeness or ignorance so I just don't get it ????  😀😀😀😀😀😀 I've just leaned to accept it for what it is!!!

Johnnyhulk wrote:

What I'm trying to figure out is the people here seem to be very friendly and generally very accommodating except when driving ? Why people drive the way they do anywhere is either because of rudeness or ignorance so I just don't get it ????  😀😀😀😀😀😀 I've just leaned to accept it for what it is!!!

Not everyone is friendly or cares about the needs of others, that is true everywhere in the world. But everywhere I been, the nicest people become Jerks when they drive. Specially in Germany and they have zero patience with others when they drive.
Example: It is raining hard and people with and without umbrellas want to cross the street, they are getting soak and their packages are falling apart, but nobody will let them cross, those in the cars are nice and dry and can always speed up after letting you cross to regain lost time, but they don't.

Yes I understand that but it seems it is the culture here not to signal for sure !! 😀😀😀😀

While driving in PR, think of it as a  Jedi training exercise.  Or try playing some an inspiring mix of music.  Lately I am listening to Santana. "Oye como va!' works well on route 3.

In the last two months I was in PR for a week each, now my wife complains that I no longer signal when changing lanes, not sure why I am doing that, I used to signal. Maybe it is something carried by mosquitos!!!!

I originally posted this elsewhere.  I find the driving discussion very interesting.  I lived in PR for 20 years.  What happens over time is that you tend to adapt to the driving conditions -- its not that they don't have driving rules, its that their rules are different.  The more time you spend in PR, the more the driving becomes normal and the more you also use those rules (e.g. use the breakdown lane, pass on the right, etc.).  I found that when I moved back to the States, the driving here was strange.  it was too uniform.  In traffic I would see an empty breakdown lane and think how far ahead I could get if I used it and what a waste of lane space it was if it wasn't used. 

One rule I liked was if a car was on the road and wanted to turn left into a parking lot, and a car was ready to turn left out of the parking lot, the car on the road would let the car out of the parking lot first, despite having the right of way. 

As to driving slowly in the left lane, I had heard that the reason for this is that the right lane is often in much worse condition (from trucks) and the left lane has fewer potholes, bumps,  etc.  I found this to generally be true. So people tend to use the left lane regardless of how fast they are going. 

An example of adjusting to the rules.  I use to live midway between Humacao and Naguabo.  I once mistook a flight time and by the time I realized the correct time I had barely enough time to make it to the airport.  There was some traffic heading into San Juan and if I hadn't been able to use the breakdown lane, I would never have made my flight.  I  made it just in time.

When I lived there, if you got a speeding ticket, the police would take your license and return it to you when you paid the ticket. If you got the ticket far from home you had to return to that city to pay and retrieve your license.  is that still done nowadays?

All in all driving in PR has made me a better driver.  I always look to the right when I change lanes in case a car had passed on the right and was moving into the lane I wanted to move into.  So I guess the best advice I can give about driving in Puerto Rico is to be careful and drive defensively.

I am actually pretty sure the speed limit sign is in MPH not kilometers.

I've never seen KM/H signs in PR.

mlb03 wrote:

I am actually pretty sure the speed limit sign is in MPH not kilometers.

I stand corrected, speed signs are in Miles per Hour, but distance is in Kilometers. Weird.
Here is a site about the rules of driving in PR, I found it entretaining.
http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/drivi … erto-rico/

Read the comments after the article!!!!!!

You had me confused because that would mean I was driving unreasonably fast this whole time (1.6x the speed limit to be precise)... then I was extra confused to think about how I am definitely NOT the fastest one out there. Haha 

I freak out a couple of times every day because people just don't know how to drive!! 😈😈😈
They drive over red light, they don't use blinker, they speed, always drive on the left lane, even if they are slowly, they are texting while driving and so on!
Police don't care maybe because they do the same.
I could have an accident everyyyy day, but since I am a good German driver I was lucky to avoid a lot of accidents.

yes they are in mph.

You must always drive defensively.  We have to here in Illinois, too

There is also a PR law on the books that you cannot drive too slow.  If that  enforced, the debt problem would be solved. Maybe someone can invent an app that rings an alarm when this happens. It would have to override the drivers who are TWT---texting while driving.

Seems that life on the east side of the island is more stressful than in the west. I like the Island Of Enchantment because it is more laid back than the NY Metro area. I would never live in the frenetic part of PR - not worth it unless you can't help it. I find drivers very polite for the most part in the west, and yes lots of slow pokes in the fast lane or on single lane roads, but I don't get into a twist over it. People complain about driving the world over. It's when you are in a rush that things get tense or if it's the last straw of other stresses in your life. In NJ I fantasized carrying a doszen eggs with me and throwing them at drivers that offended me.

"carrying a doszen eggs with me and throwing them at drivers that offended me."

Haha!  I found the west coast more laid back, too.  The drivers were pretty much courteous in Rincon.

I agree that living here on the west coast is so much more relaxed. Driving in Rincon is a pleasure compared to many places the world over. That said, last year after a drive from Rincon to the San Juan airport, (part of it during morning rush hour) I told the pilot on my flight that I felt competent to fly the plane after getting to San Juan alive! lol

I feel you, lol!

Did you ever drive in Germany? That is relaxing! 

What is the cost of a driver license in Germany?

Marion-Olga wrote:

I feel you, lol!

Did you ever drive in Germany? That is relaxing! 

I drove in Germany and those extremely friendly Germans became Devils behind the wheel, specially in the autobahn.
Major road rage on their part.

By the way, driving in some of the thin cobble stone roads of old San Juan remind me of driving in old German towns. Very hard to make a left or right turn without clipping a pedestrian or one of the buildings. You needed a small and short car to deal with those roads, like one of those Fiats or Smart cars for example.

It depends on the prices of the driving schools and how many driving lessons you need.
You drive in  the City, on the highway, day and night and so on and you need to go to theory hours where you learn the rules and thr signs.
Mine was about 1000 Euro, but that was 22 years ago.
The daughter of my friend had to pay 2500 Euros this August.

Here they take 2 or 3 driving lessons and learn a bit theory and got their license for 100 $.
What can you expect? 😵

They drive fast at the Autobahn because they can do it! 😃
You  can find bad drivers anywhere, the thing  is that the police here does nothing!

At first I was mumbling about the drivers, but hey, when in Rome! After a few weeks I adapted and accepted, then even began to enjoy the loose driving here. Folks don't fool around and stare at each other on a 4 -way. they go! Folks don't lay on the horn, no matter what. To me its more like a horse and buggy type traffic, albeit faster, and in many cases it actually IS horse traffic. Everyone just seems to understand its crowded here, with narrow colonial streets, and live with it. just drive with a normal give and take, go fast or slow, whichever is needed, and relax. I would much rather drive here than the East coast corridor.

Oh, my gosh that is horrible!  Thank you for sharing this for others to learn from.