This article just came out on Inside Costa Rica:
Before I do that, let me say that I certainly don't think that Costa Rican drivers are the world's worst. They are going to have to debase even their low standard to compete with, say, the drivers in Cairo, or even Paris! The annual number of traffic fatalities (a third of which are pedestrians and motorcyclists) are on par, in the raw, with my home state of Oregon, which has a comparable population (but more cars). It's difficult to directly compare fatality rates, though, because of the number of miles traveled, road conditions, etc. But, let's just say that it's not quite wholesale slaughter on Costa Rican roads, though certainly not for a lack of trying.
Actually, I doubt that there is anything particularly special about Costa Rica when it comes to poor driving. I'm sure many underdeveloped countries have a similar disrespect for the written and unwritten rules of the road. Mostly, it comes down to lack of enforcement and a get-by-how-you-can cultural environment.
Traffic cops (Policia Transito) in Costa Rica are not numerous and I've yet to figure out what their mission is, besides parking tickets, given how they constantly turn a blind eye to the dozens of violations they must see every day, including their own. I've watched them run stop signs, pass dangerously, and weave in and out of lanes without signaling more times than I can count. They don't chase down speeders. I've never seen them chase down anyone. The low odds of getting a ticket definitely contributes to the laissez-faire mode of driving so ubiquitous here.
The subdued traffic free-for-all here is also an extension of the overall culture. Excess money helps anyone glide over some of life's rougher spots. When you have just enough pesos to get by, you use different kinds of life lubricant, which, in the case of Ticos, is a blend of personal independence, frugality, and stretching the rules, even to the breaking point, if it makes life seem a little easier.
Sliding through that stop sign, parking in a no-parking zone even if it's blocking a fast-moving lane, crossing the double-line, tail-gating, all of that behavior is not born of malice, though it is selfish. It's part of a dance that expresses disdain for authority and release from other cultural and economic restraints on their lives. That they are actually increasing the risk of physical harm to themselves and others is an after-thought, unfortunately.
If you can get into the swing of driving here yourself (but still adopt a strong defense), you will imagine you are having an easier time of it, too. I try to set an example myself, but the "California Stop" is one bad habit I've picked up and am unlikely to lose until I get a ticket here or elsewhere. Does that make me a bad driver? By Tico standards, definitely not. It might, actually, make me a better driver in this context because no one expects you to stop at a stop sign. Doing the unexpected is often what creates accidents.
Maybe in a later post I'll enumerate the kinds of common, risky driving shenanigans that go on here. Some are definitely hair-raising. Motorcyclists are the worst of the bunch and I'm amazed that I don't see one sprawled out on the pavement every day. Pedestrians are just a hapless lot, though many times due to their own actions. I have to say that there are some excellent drivers here (think Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man), and most are courteous, believe it or not. Few are outright rude or reckless. We're all just trying to get by the best we know how. I do see gradual investments in improved safety on the roads, and increased education, but the Ticos will, I fear, always have a long ways to go in this regard.
Care to recount some of the worst driving habits where you live?
¢250.000 Bought A Drivers License in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has some pretty bad drivers. And though most know pretty much why, Judicial officials confirmed it yesterday with a raid on the licensing offices of the MOPT, where they confiscated documents that will assist their investigation into the purchase and sale of drivers licenses.
The article strongly implies that because many skirted around their driving exams that that explains the poor driving here. The rest of the article is about how OIJ (oh-ee-hota, CR's version of the FBI) is busting public officials who took bribes to issue licenses.
I don't refute the idea that driver's licenses are up for sale. Last year OIJ busted several "hawks" and employees of COSEVI right here in Pérez Zeledón who were greasing the way through license acquisition. Those
who bought their license (I believe it's a small minority) are likely
to make poor drivers, yes, especially given their exceptional disrespect
for the rules. Personally, however, I find it difficult to attribute the widespread lack of good driving skills in Costa Rica to a lack of valid licenses. Allow me to speculate why that is, and why driving here requires both honed defensive skills plus the willingness to participate in the "dance".
Actually, I doubt that there is anything particularly special about Costa Rica when it comes to poor driving. I'm sure many underdeveloped countries have a similar disrespect for the written and unwritten rules of the road. Mostly, it comes down to lack of enforcement and a get-by-how-you-can cultural environment.
Traffic cops (Policia Transito) in Costa Rica are not numerous and I've yet to figure out what their mission is, besides parking tickets, given how they constantly turn a blind eye to the dozens of violations they must see every day, including their own. I've watched them run stop signs, pass dangerously, and weave in and out of lanes without signaling more times than I can count. They don't chase down speeders. I've never seen them chase down anyone. The low odds of getting a ticket definitely contributes to the laissez-faire mode of driving so ubiquitous here.
Sliding through that stop sign, parking in a no-parking zone even if it's blocking a fast-moving lane, crossing the double-line, tail-gating, all of that behavior is not born of malice, though it is selfish. It's part of a dance that expresses disdain for authority and release from other cultural and economic restraints on their lives. That they are actually increasing the risk of physical harm to themselves and others is an after-thought, unfortunately.
If you can get into the swing of driving here yourself (but still adopt a strong defense), you will imagine you are having an easier time of it, too. I try to set an example myself, but the "California Stop" is one bad habit I've picked up and am unlikely to lose until I get a ticket here or elsewhere. Does that make me a bad driver? By Tico standards, definitely not. It might, actually, make me a better driver in this context because no one expects you to stop at a stop sign. Doing the unexpected is often what creates accidents.
Maybe in a later post I'll enumerate the kinds of common, risky driving shenanigans that go on here. Some are definitely hair-raising. Motorcyclists are the worst of the bunch and I'm amazed that I don't see one sprawled out on the pavement every day. Pedestrians are just a hapless lot, though many times due to their own actions. I have to say that there are some excellent drivers here (think Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man), and most are courteous, believe it or not. Few are outright rude or reckless. We're all just trying to get by the best we know how. I do see gradual investments in improved safety on the roads, and increased education, but the Ticos will, I fear, always have a long ways to go in this regard.
Care to recount some of the worst driving habits where you live?
If you have lived in The Philippines, you will find driving in Costa Rica to be orderly, polite and regular in comparison! You have no idea of the hazards driving here. Some foreigners can never dare it. Yet, in spite of all the lawless driving, you see few accidents. Jeepneys stopping anywhere, not always just in the right lane, are the worst hazard, together with people who get off them and walk away without looking. Many have an "I dare you to hit me" attitude. When crossing the street, they cross just one lane first, then stand on the line (if there is one) to wait for crossing the other lane. You are supposed to watch for them, and not let your side mirror hit them. They often do this with a child in hand.
ReplyDeleteI witnessed the same thing in Cairo where the cars are actually brushing the clothes of the pedestrian standing between lanes. Amazing that there are not more fatalities, especially given that everyone is on a cell phone these days while driving.
DeleteCALI COLOMBIA AND MEXICO CITY IS A BITCH TO DRIVE !!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for addressing the simple-minded explanation for bad driving offered by "Inside Costa Rica." The main focus of La Policia Transito is on expired plates and stickers, for which the fines are harshly punitive and regressive. It also makes for an easy job, which is what most Costa Rican public employees want. So there is little traffic enforcement that is in any way a deterrent to bad driving, or educational after the fact.
ReplyDeleteIf the sides of the roads had shoulders, or anything but deep pits, the number of accidents would be much lower. Better roads would improve the statistics.
As for fatalities, Costa Rica is not out of line with global standards. This has largely to do with the fact that most of the driving is done in the heavy traffic areas of the Central Valley, and it's uncommon that anyone can drive fast enough to cause real damage. Fender benders are the lay of the land.
We could also benefit from more public service education regarding seatbelt use. My wife, a Tica from birth, often doesn't put on her seatbelt until she has pulled out into traffic (in our case, pulling out of the driveway is the most dangerous part of any trip). And if she's alone, I suspect that she doesn't put on the seatbelt at all. I have begun my own domestic education project on seatbelt use, showing her crash test videos that demonstrate the violent physics of even slow speed accidents. It seems to be working, especially because we have a six year-old daughter.
All well said Don. There are so many seemingly simple improvements that could be made, the list goes on and on. I have been pleasantly surprised to see that most Ticos do use their seatbelts, though child seats are very, very rare. You are right about the reduced speed being a factor, though it doesn't help much in a head-on collision, which I expect to see every time I drive on the two-lane highways. There have been some tire-screeches, but so far all near misses.
Deletenice interesting post
ReplyDeleteVery nice post.. Worst driving is PH... 2nd in my experience ... India Mumbai
ReplyDeleteThank you, Casey - for a great post. You've said it well. I actually like driving here as compared with New Mexico, where I last lived. I used to say there that it was okay to make a U-turn anytime, anywhere and at any speed. Here I find that I am driving slower (mostly because of the roads and my older vehicle) and the 'dance' is a dance of courtesy. 'You go first', 'oh no - after you..'with gentle hand gestures. I like it! When I first got here nearly 4 years ago and found myself lonely for human interaction (came here alone), I would drive down to Cemetery Road - a road filled with potholes and barely enough room for one car though there were two lanes. I'd weave from one end to the other and enjoy the impromptu discourses along the way. May sound wierd - but it was pretty wonderful then - and still is.
ReplyDelete