10 Tips on Driving in Latin America - Navigating Chaos
The rumor is that people in countries like Peru, Bolivia and Colombia are poor drivers, not really paying attention to road rules and that the road conditions are chaotic, but is this really true? Absolutely!
Ask any local taxi driver and you will always hear the same thing, "Don't drive here, it's a nightmare!" If you don't want to heed this advice and want to run the gauntlet I have listed 10 tips for staying out of trouble while driving in my favorite country; Peru.
1. Simple rule - the bigger your vehicle, the more priority you have. In urban areas, and especially in the capital Lima, it is very common for people to turn left when they are in the extreme right hand lane (or vice versa), completely cutting across the traffic with no signaling. Public buses and cargo trucks are particularly good at this and no one raises an eyebrow. Just let them go!
2. Many of the cars are in very poor condition and often none of the lights or signals will be working, or they can