...and what's real deal with those Costa Rica motorcycle helmet laws?

Here in Costa Rica car drivers and motorcyclists are severely injured or killed in large numbers. Why?! Driving behavior and lack of enforcement.

Cars pass other traffic by using both space on the right of the road or lanes of oncoming traffic. Motorcycles drive between cars, pass on the right, pass via oncoming traffic lanes, etc., etc. Traffic lights, stop signs, lane markings and driving laws are routinely disregarded. Police for the most part ignore the situation – including the parking of cars in lanes of traffic by drivers whose need to run into a store for a loaf of bread is obviously much more important than the flow of traffic.

Costa Rica motorcycles pass between and around cars at high speeds ... so they often need to rest ;o)

This type of driving is most certainly learned behavior as even the most responsible and professional of persons act like adolescents once they are in control of a motor vehicle. Even after a close call that could have resulted in the drivers serious injury or death, they ride off like a fricking idiot after blaming the other guy by way of universally derogatory hand gestures, one-way verbal rants and/or the occasional kick to a fender panel. Again, their erratic behavior was reinforced because they were able to drive off despite the dropped motorcycle or bumped car!

A minor fender-bender between two taxis on San Jose’s Avenida 1 resulted in more than two blocks of downtown traffic being backed-up more than a half hour as the drivers argued over no apparent damage and “reparations”. The disagreement and traffic were cleared-up with the help of several Policía Municipal “negotiators”. ¡Pura Taxista!

Since buying my car in Costa Rica I have said it wasn’t a matter of “if”, but a matter of “when” I would be involved in a collision.

Last week I finally got one of those crazy motorcycle drivers. He was passing a whole line of cars as he drove on the wrong side of a packed four lane road … straight at me as I came from the other direction. I started honking, he started honking while he was still accelerating and BANG … he didn’t clear my drivers’ side mirror as he tried to squeeze between cars at a high rate of speed. I never did see him in my rearview mirror but then again there were many cars behind me in the busy traffic. I really hope he was O.K (lol). My mirror housing was easily re-attachable, but I had to replace the actual mirror for a whopping $8.00.

"It is urgent to change the culture of drivers in the country, with the goal to reduce deaths"
-Karla González, Ministra de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) de Costa Rica

For over 2 years Costa Rica legislators have been negotiating to raise traffic fines from their current ridiculously low levels, adopt a “points” system where repeat offenders can actually lose their drivers licenses and to roll-out stronger penalties to combat reckless and drunk driving.  Why it is taking so long speaks to the culture itself.  That said, Costa Rica has many well-intentioned laws that suffer from lack of enforcement.  In fact, I am somewhat cautious about any new and arguably needed traffic laws if they are ultimately only selectively enforced – with non-natives like myself feeling them most. Now I truly know what its like to be a minority in my view of law enforcement ;o)

The only exception I see to the lax traffic enforcement is Costa Rica’s motorcycle helmet law. You have to wear a motorcycle helmet … which is obviously a good thing given the driving environment. However, I do have a question regarding the letter of law based on the following observation:

How come mom and dad have helmets but the baby doesn’t?! Perhaps because there are no manufactured helmets small enough – BECAUSE BABIES SHOULD NOT BE TRANSPORTED ON MOTORCYCLES!!!!! -especially with cars, motorcycles and buses routinely weaving through traffic without regard for property or human life.

My next major vehicle accessory purchase is going to be a fabricated metal front-end guard including side-mirror protection. I just have to figure out how to put such a thing on a Mazda coupe without having the rear wheels tip off the pavement ;o)

Don't laugh ... cars with wrap-around bumpers are a Costa Rica mandatory-minimum!

In the meantime, I point my car in the direction I want to go and ease down on the accelerator fully expecting future dings and scrapes for my used 1997 car with 100,000 miles.

Post-Blog, Blog:
I most certainly enjoy Costa Rica much better when I let somebody else do the driving in urban areas.  The inexpensive nationwide public bus system and abundant taxis are certainly the way to travel stress free - unless you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie :o)

For these reasons and more, I highly recommend public transportation when visiting or vacationing in Costa Rica.

Should you spend a considerable amount of time or live in Costa Rica and still want own a car, be sure to review other blogs on this subject:

• Buying or Importing a Car in Costa Rica - Do Your Homework

• Costa Rica Car Security - Protect Yourself, Your Investment and Your Valuables with an Alarm System, Physical Locking Device and Common Sense

• How to Navigate Costa Rica by Car - with a GPS Device and Costa Rica Digital Map of Course
  

• Getting a Costa Rica Drivers License - "Do Not Smile"

• Costa Rica Gas Prices

• Costa Rica Traffic Sign Suggestions - Humor

¡Pura Tráfico!