The Luckiest Man (still) ALIVE in Costa Rica
Driving in Costa Rica isdangerous. Plain and simple.
Otherwise sane and courteous people become self-absorbed road-rage maniacs once behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle here in the land of un-enforced traffic laws.
Drivers stop and block whole lanes of traffic to step inside a store for a loaf of bread. Traffic control is a joke with drivers ignoring posted speed limits, disobeying traffic lights, stop signs, school zones, etc. etc.
Probably the single largest Costa Rica traffic problem is when drivers completely ignore marked roadways reducing navigation to a free-for-all. Motorcycles weave through traffic passing cars on both the left and right sides while using oncoming lanes as their own personal drag strips.
WARNING: The following Costa Rica car accident video is disturbing:
What you saw in this video is classic Costa Rica driving with a really bad ending. Automobiles are lined up in a left-turn lane when a car driving in the outside lane attempts to beat another car while crossing two-lanes of traffic to make a left turn in-front of the waiting vehicles. As detailed in the video, the resulting crash was horrific. The car that was hit head-on was driven by a man and his new wife, both were killed instantly leaving one young child without a mother.
What you saw in this video is classic Costa Rica driving with a really bad ending. Automobiles are lined up in a left-turn lane when a car driving in the outside lane attempts to beat another car while crossing two-lanes of traffic to make a left turn in-front of the waiting vehicles. As detailed in the video, the resulting crash was horrific. The car that was hit head-on was driven by a man and his new wife, both were killed instantly leaving one young child without a mother.
As you could see in the video, thistype of driving behavior isnot limited to a few bad drivers. The video also shows a city buspulling the same illegal turning maneuver presumably with a bus load ofpassengers. As the bus makes its move, another driver tries tomake a U-turn behind the bus and is almost hit by an oncoming car thatjust cleared the bus.
And the madness doesn't stop with public bus drivers. Almost daily while taking my son to school I witness Costa Rica school bus drivers weaving through traffic, making U-turns in heavy traffic, cutting-off other cars while talking and/or texting on cell phones, etc. ,etc. All while packed with innocent uniformed private school students sitting obiediently in their seats holding onto their backpacks and bracing for the next sharp turn, sudden stop or inevitable collision.
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And the madness doesn't stop with public bus drivers. Almost daily while taking my son to school I witness Costa Rica school bus drivers weaving through traffic, making U-turns in heavy traffic, cutting-off other cars while talking and/or texting on cell phones, etc. ,etc. All while packed with innocent uniformed private school students sitting obiediently in their seats holding onto their backpacks and bracing for the next sharp turn, sudden stop or inevitable collision.
As you could see in the video, thistype of driving behavior isnot limited to a few bad drivers. The video also shows a city buspulling the same illegal turning maneuver presumably with a bus load ofpassengers. As the bus makes its move, another driver tries tomake a U-turn behind the bus and is almost hit by an oncoming car thatjust cleared the bus.
And the madness doesn't stop with public bus drivers. Almost daily while taking my son to school I witness Costa Rica school bus drivers weaving through traffic, making U-turns in heavy traffic, cutting-off other cars while talking and/or texting on cell phones, etc. ,etc. All while packed with innocent uniformed private school students sitting obiediently in their seats holding onto their backpacks and bracing for the next sharp turn, sudden stop or inevitable collision.
It's absolutely nutz and the main reason my son's life is no longer entrusted with the friendly neighborhood school bus driver - a wave, a smile& then let the reckless driving begin with my son in the van ... No Thanks! Parents if you love your kids, anonymously follow their school bus once in awhile to check the drivers habits!!! Non-parents take some initiative to follow such drivers to their final destinations and report their dangerous driving to school administrators to avert future disasters.
Then again, Costa Rica police have their own traffic issues:
And the madness doesn't stop with public bus drivers. Almost daily while taking my son to school I witness Costa Rica school bus drivers weaving through traffic, making U-turns in heavy traffic, cutting-off other cars while talking and/or texting on cell phones, etc. ,etc. All while packed with innocent uniformed private school students sitting obiediently in their seats holding onto their backpacks and bracing for the next sharp turn, sudden stop or inevitable collision.
It's absolutely nutz and the main reason my son's life is no longer entrusted with the friendly neighborhood school bus driver - a wave, a smile& then let the reckless driving begin with my son in the van ... No Thanks! Parents if you love your kids, anonymously follow their school bus once in awhile to check the drivers habits!!! Non-parents take some initiative to follow such drivers to their final destinations and report their dangerous driving to school administrators to avert future disasters.
New Costa Rica traffic laws have beenwritten, passed throughlegislation and will soon take effectin efforts to curtail this crazyness ... but without realenforcement, the desired reforms will more than likely have littleeffect on the culture of chaos that is currently Costa Rica's roadways.
Then again, Costa Rica police have their own traffic issues:
For all the wonderful things that are Costa Rica, this littletraffic problem is not going to fix itself. Especially as more and more cars crowd the roadways and newer generations of drivers learnthese same bad behaviors.
Meanwhile, the guy in the video sitting on his motorcycle waiting to make a left turn is this month's "Luckiest man [still] ALIVE in Costa Rica". Hopefully he'll slow down and not weave throughtraffic for a day or so after catching such a lucky break ... wishful thinking I'm sure.
For all the wonderful things that are Costa Rica, this littletraffic problem is not going to fix itself. Especially as more and more cars crowd the roadways and newer generations of drivers learnthese same bad behaviors.
Meanwhile, the guy in the video sitting on his motorcycle waiting to make a left turn is this month's "Luckiest man [still] ALIVE in Costa Rica". Hopefully he'll slow down and not weave throughtraffic for a day or so after catching such a lucky break ... wishful thinking I'm sure.
Still not convinced driving in Costa Rica is dangerous?! Check out this video from Micheal Allen and D'Angelo of www.TravelCostaRicaNow.com
The following is yet another Costa Rica driving video, this time courtesy of The Tico Times
Be sure to see our other Costa Rica traffic related content:
- Driving in Costa Rica makes NASCAR look like agentleman's sport.
- Costa Rica Traffic Sign Suggestions (humor to help offset the frustration& sadness)
Posted by Bill Clanton at 5/31/2009 5:15 PM 
Categories: Travel in Costa Rica,Laws in Costa Rica,Drivers License in Costa Rica,Motorcycles in Costa Rica,Culture in Costa Rica,Living in Costa Rica,Legal Matters in Costa Rica,Life in Costa Rica,Government of Costa Rica,News from Costa Rica,Public Transportation in Costa Rica,Rent a Car in Costa Rica,Videos of Costa Rica,Moving To Costa Rica,Pictures of Costa Rica,Schools in Costa Rica,Politics in Costa Rica,Automobiles in Costa Rica,Costa Rica Private Schools,Transportation in Costa Rica,Driving in Costa Rica
Tags: Culture roads bridges car Costa Rica bus driving accident motorcycle crash video
Categories: Travel in Costa Rica,Laws in Costa Rica,Drivers License in Costa Rica,Motorcycles in Costa Rica,Culture in Costa Rica,Living in Costa Rica,Legal Matters in Costa Rica,Life in Costa Rica,Government of Costa Rica,News from Costa Rica,Public Transportation in Costa Rica,Rent a Car in Costa Rica,Videos of Costa Rica,Moving To Costa Rica,Pictures of Costa Rica,Schools in Costa Rica,Politics in Costa Rica,Automobiles in Costa Rica,Costa Rica Private Schools,Transportation in Costa Rica,Driving in Costa Rica
Tags: Culture roads bridges car Costa Rica bus driving accident motorcycle crash video
That was some insane driving. WTF were those guys thinking !!!!?????
peter
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Buenas dias Peter,
The driving of those involved in the crash is the norm, not an aberration - the video and my personal experience clearly show this.
It is a free-for-all out on the roads of Costa Rica due to a culture of "me first" based in a lack of traffic law enforcement.
I enjoy Costa Rica sooo much more when I'm not navigating it's roadways.
My advice to any that visit Costa Rica is to take public transportation or hire a driver, it allows for a stress free vacation experience while somebody else does battle with the other drivers ... and don't be afraid to tell your own driver to respect property and human life as they work for you!
-Bill
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You know it really is insane here when it comes to driving and don't get me started on the Tico's that basically walk in the middle of the road in 'ANY' conditions... what are they thinking. Funny, our tico friends hate our video, they think people won't visit here. I'm with YOU, hire a driver... much less stress, but one thing is FOR sure, if you decide to drive here, don't underestimate how bad it is.
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Michael,
One night I was driving on a quiet, winding, unlit rural road by Alajuela when I observed oncoming traffic of several cars swerve to the outside of their lane. Assuming there was a pothole ahead I slowed down with anticipation of making sure I didn't hit the hole.
To my surprise the object to avoid was a drunk man, stumbling down the center of the pitch-dark road carrying a tall Imperial can of beer. Best of all he had 'wet himself'. Had the oncoming traffic not alerted me to the guy I'm afraid I would have hit and killed him.
But at least this guy had an excuse for walking down the middle of the roadway ... he was drunk. All the others that walk in and through traffic are just plain insane - especially given that so many Costa Ria drivers have no regard for life as they race through the streets.
As for the Ticos and others not wanting you to share such a video with the 'outside' world, I am of like mind that if you are going to be fair when talking about Costa Rica - you must share the good and the bad.
I'm from the Chicago area where last night 7 people were killed in 6 separate shootings. Costa Rica crime in my opinion does not compare (and that's a good thing), but people need to be aware of the 3,000 pound stray bullets flying around Costa Rica.
Hire a driver if you're visiting. Drive at your own risk.
P.S.: I too love driving around beautiful Costa Rica - once I get out of the Central Valley. But I do wish I drove a military reinforced v-hulled Hummer with a mounted 50 caliber machine gun and skilled gunner assistant (just kidding, sort of).
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OMG! I wet myself... well at least I made it back home. Anyway, how right you are. Oh, and I'm pretty handy with heavy artillery... and I'm looking for a job.
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It's not just the central valley, they're just as loco here On the Nicoya peninsuila. Teenage dumptruck drivers and taxi drivers are the worst. I know a tico whos legally blind, has a license and drives like a bat out of hell right down the middle of the road. Only a matter of time before he gets his ticket punched. Get the twin 50 mount for the hummer it's lots more fun.
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People drive on residencial streets like they were on a freeway and on freeways like they were in residential areas.
I am close to two high schools , a private one and a public one and 50 meters from the university Ulatina.
Oddly in a zona escolar (school zone) where the speed limit is 25 kilomteres an hour, the average driver goes 40-50 kmh when the kids are all on their way to school....However, try to find a highway or thoroughfare where you can go that fast during the same hour of the day because of the rush hour traffic!
Even parents, who drop off thier kids peel out like teenagers trying to impress people with their souped up rigs...Or they park halfway in the streets making other people's kids have to walk out in the streets to go around.
In essence those signs that say "zona escolar" really mean "pedal to the metal".
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A few weeks ago I was driving and stopped at a red light. I guess it wasn't really a MANDATORY light, because the guy behind me flipped me off for ten blocks after he passed me driving through the red light...
I wish they would at least post signs saying which stop signs and lights are mandatory and which are optional. Inquiring minds and all.
But oh well, always a surprise in store.
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Red lights ---- Purrrrra vida, I've found the secret
If you are at a red light and facing either east or west on an even number day, you may proceed after waiting the number of seconds that is the first 2 digits of your license number DIVIDED by 2.
If you are at a red light facing north or south you must wait the full number of seconds of the third digit of your license number UNLESS the same number of drivers honk their horns as the third digit, then you can proceed immediately.
If you don't know which direction you are facing, YOU ARE LOST - proceed immediately to the curb aside the nearest Tico that looks like
they couldn't possibly know which direction is North and ask where you can buy large size womans pants.
Purrrrra vida,
GPSGary
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Have to add this one...
I just returned from picking my son up from school.
In the Costa Rica pouring rain where the windshield wipers where on full-speed and the street was flooded from the downpour - we approached an intersection with a signal light.
I heard a siren then saw an ambulance racing into the intersection. I was unable to pull over very far because of a car trying to pass me on the right.
Then the unbelievable happened ... after clearing through the intersection, the ambulance did a u-turn in the middle of road, re-entered the intersection and took a left-hand turn across traffic.
Apparently the ambulance missed their turn so they felt the u-turn on two-wheels in the middle of traffic was the best way to keep on their run during the downpour.
...un-fricking-believable!
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Scary thought, these guys driving in a snowstorm, if they travel do other countries recognize their driving license?
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A Costa Rica driver caught in action by a security camera decides not to pay the ¢310 colones toll ($0.53) at the Escazú toll plaza ... hitting a newspaper reporter.
The Diario Extra reporter, who was at the toll station to gather information for a report of a private ambulance being stopped for not paying the toll during an emergency run to CIMA Hospital, was rundown when the driver of a white panel truck broke through the toll gate and left the scene with wheels screeching.
Fortunately for the Diaro reporter, the paramedics were at hand and he was rushed to hospital while the hit and run driver fled the scene.
There was no word as to whether or not the private ambulance had to pay another toll in order to proceed to the hospital with the injured reporter.
Only in Costa Rica! ;o)
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