Driving in the Dominican Republic

My advice is simply do not

why take those sort of risks in a place you dont know

The main roads here are ok for driving but as soon as you get anywhere near a town you are asking for trouble

jail will not be an issue i suspect but if there is ever an accident of any type then as a tourist it will be your fault and low level extortion bribery and payoffs are likely to rear their ugly heads

but the beaches can be nice

@CourtneyY I have visited several times and will continue to visit.  I drive often and if you can drive in DC your good.  Keep your head on a swivel, watch out for others because they won't watch out for you.  I did have an issue with a police fine/ low level extortion but it was all good.  Like anywhere don't flash money, don't drive at because there are not always lighted roads and highways and be prepared to pay more that $5.00 a gallon for gas. If something else comes to mind I will repost.

It is a different world here and the best advice someone gave me once was - if there is an open space, someone will take it.  So WATCH OUT!!  The other key thing to remember is that most people do NOT respect the roads, signs, or other cars.  Lines may be on the road, but that doesn't matter - people will make their own lane if they want to.  My favorite is if you are in the left lane and the person to your right wants to turn left, they will do it right in front of you and cut you off as if it is normal.  Red lights and stops signs mean nothing to some people - always cross intersections with caution.  And, since everyone "owns" the road, don't be surprised to see people just stop and park right in front of you; or even worse, start backing up. 

Bottom line, you can drive here, but be VERY VERY CAUTIOUS!  Do not trust that the cars around you are going to respect your space because they won't - remember, no respect when it comes to driving!

Most importantly, enjoy Bayahibe and Samana - they are both beautiful places to visit!!

I agree with the above posts  We drive often there and throughout the country.    Dominicans are wonderfu people until they get behind the wheel at which time they release their inner Hulk 

Be careful, and make sure you get good insurance with Casa De Conductor benefits   If your in an accident youll likely be liable regardless of fault  Id reccomend a dash cam as well.   It would be cheap evidence in the unlikely event of being in an accident  at 100$   

It's the only place I know of where I get passed ON A BLIND CURVE. Or going up a hill. No joke. They just don't seem to care. We simply try to avoid driving here, but that is difficult of course.

We always drive with a dash cam, as Tripp789 suggests. And carry cash. Sometimes it is easier just to pay some money to someone that rams in to you and insists it was your fault than to get involved in a skirmish.

My advice is to be a passenger here first. Get a feel for the flow of traffic and craziness, then decide if you want to venture out on your own.

It depends on the source I guess, but my understanding is the DR has the highest roadway death and injury rate in the world. Zimbabwe I believe is second with about half the deaths per 1,000. So....be careful.

I will say with all the doom and gloom I posted above in the three years of residency here we have not had an accident. So, it is possible to get around safely, just be very alert.

All good information above. The other question of course is can you speak and read Spanish?  If not then things get even harder.

Lots and lots of visual pollution here so hard to know what to read! 

If you decide to drive do not do so at night.  Day is hard enough, night driving is ridiculous!

Yes Planner, I forgot about that. Your risk goes up exponentially at night. Vehicles with no lights, etc.....

@burnettemarksr thank you for this information, much appreciated!

@planner I am not fluent in Spanish but can get by (usually) and can read a bit as well.  Thank you!

I have driven over 10 years in the DR and I have adapted to it. Drive macho and watch out!

I mean when you are driving too cautious or scared it might be more confusing to others. Make it clear where you are going and stick to it.

some guidelines>

- forget your polite driving lessons

- bigger car = more right of way

- use the horn as much as you like, it's a necessity! Seriously.

- keep the doors locked during the trip

- use your wipers when you do not want your windshield washed at a trafficlight

- drive most middle/left of the road, small busses and motorists weave in and out on the side of the road

- keep a good eye for potholes in the road and speedbumps on the road (often the paint is missing)

- have pesos at hand for the tollboots (usually each 60-100 pesos)

The autopista's are pretty doable, secundairy roads have potholes but they are way better than 10 years ago.

Most dangerous are traffic from the side of the road, busy intersections and driving at night.

I never had any problems driving or stopped by police. Be aware what happends around you and drive with confidence, if not it wont be fun and you better not drive yourself.

Good information/advice Papito!

Go slow and steady and don't change lanes quickly … don't let the motor bikes scare   you , i find using WAZE driving App. works well for  me when in the city or on the highways and like mention above get a dash cam for front snd back….  good luck

And I absolutely  hate WAZE - it has gotten me into lots of trouble in the big city!  Grrrrrrrr.

Patience , Patience ,  patience…🚗 🚓

Also, flash flooding happens on secondary roads with not much rain! We have a 4Runner with lots of ground clearance, but I still drive around the water as much as possible because you never know when a pothole, sinkhole, or other obstacles might pop up and be obscured by the water.

Hi Everyone,

I drove from Punta Cana to Samana and L.T.  Roads were fine until Google maps or Waze sent me on an old sugarcane highway route 4 or 7? I call it  The Road From Hell!

If you see a lot of old dump trucks filled with dirt, turn around!!! There are pot holes the size of craters and I think all the workers live in little shacks. They stand or sit by the side of the road all day.  Probably waiting for tourists to have an accident. Not sure about that, but it was a scary drive.

A rock hit my windshield and cracked it. Had a heck of a time getting reimbursed from the rental car company.

FYI, I did have a minor fender bender in my complex on the NC   My fault, backed into a mans car in the parking lot.  ADVICE?  Carry cash. 

I crunched the guys rear quarter panel pretty well .

In the States-$2500+   Here?  Autobody shops here paint under palm trees.  He settled for $200 and probably put $100 in his pocket.

Good to know!

@CourtneyY

I DO NOT do long-distance driving in DR. It can be dangerous and unsafe.  DR is cool but certain places can be like the wild Wild West- Lawless.

I guess long distance is dependant upon your perspective. With the road system here winding every which way, even short drives seem long. When it takes several hours to drive from point A to point B then it's not the distance that gets me, its the route. Reminds  of driving in Bosnia except roads there were kept up better.

This is very informative! We are also a family driving at that time, speak Spanish, and  have some questions...we are driving from Punta Cana to Samana, and wondering at recommended best routes shortest, but with reasonable roads.  I see it says circa 5 hours on Google Maps...is that at all accurate?

We saw that there was a ferry at Sabana de la Mar, but take it that is only for foot traffic?

We were thinking of taking route 4 & 66 to San Geronimo  and make our way over to the 7. Or is better to just take the 3 all the way to Santo Domingo and cross over on the 7?

Thanks all for your help!

Via Santo Domingo is better. The 3 is a highway. Most other roads are 2 lanes and more exhausting to drive. Yes at least 5 hours, avoid driving at night.

I am planning a trip to Las Terranas, but I am flying into Santo Domingo. All the tips and advice will be very helpful. Has anyone made that drive before that has specific advice 

You will be driving the toll road, which is a nice well maintained road. Be careful with the speeding. They do run radar often. I believe 860 pesos in tolls to LT.

The entrance to the toll road is fairly small and people miss it all the time. I believe you can google for pictures of the entrance so you know what it looks like.

And as Papito mentioned try to avoid driving at night - drivers with no lights, walking in the roadway, limited visibility, etc, especially in LT.