Driving in Guatemala Pt. 1

One thing many people note about third world countries is their lack of traffic laws. You'll generally see it in your first taxi ride from the airport. There is usually some dummy that will cut you off or your taxi himself will create a third turn lane where there is only one.

In the mountains, with the chicken buses darting in and out on those mountain roads with no guard rails, a persons life expectancy considerably drops. We found out with great surprise that many of those road hazards disappeared once we got to Petén. Of course, we have very few roads that are paved, but our highways are generally straight, in great condition, and with good paint, reflectors and signs. Also, chicken buses were replaced with Tuk Tuks, and since I'm 4 times their size (just by myself, let alone in my pickup) I don't let them bully me.

However, when you still have uninhibited drunk driving, cows, horses, pigs, dogs and motorcycles (none of which have taillights) all over the roads, not to mention people, who have never driven and thus have no respect for a vehicle or how fast it can or cannot stop, driving here can be unnerving for first timers. Add to that no regulated speed limit, the vast amount of people without licenses, and a general attitude of selfishness that permeates all aspects of society here, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Therefore, I propose the question, "Why don't we see more accidents?" We saw about the same amount of accidents in the States, traveling around for 11 months (and 55,000 miles) as we have in Guatemala. I know accidents do happen, and when they do they are often tragic, but there are very few fender benders. I've had a couple of my own, but I was a green driver and I'll share those in a later post.

I propose that Guatemalans, for all of their aforementioned problems, are safer drivers than those in the States. Here, if you stop on the highway, nobody will hit you. People are always watching for road hazards, because they happen so frequently. There is no cruise control that lulls people into unconscious driving. Nobody here reads while driving, does their make-up, or even yell at their kids (mainly because their kids are in the back of the truck). Anybody who does not drive defensively, dies (about the same as dogs that don't cross highways defensively).

Driving is just another part of cultural adaptation one has to get accustomed to. You may never enjoy it, but you understand it and can survive it. It is scary at first, but after a while it becomes far scarier for observers and passengers than it is for the driver.

In Part 2 I'll write about the Police...