Staying safe on Brazil's roads and highways
The shocking December 7th murder of noted Canadian businessman Dean Tiessen as a result of stumbling across a cargo hijacking in progress on the Anchieta Highway while returning to São Paulo from the coast got me really thinking about how it could have all been avoided with a little bit of knowledge. So I am putting these safety tips forward in hopes that all expats will take extra precautions while on Brazil's highways and byways.
Cargo hijackings increase at a rate of over 10% each year and between them São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro account for fully 75% of all cargo robberies in the country. Dean and his business partner, Dr. Paul Carver, not knowing the warning signs to be alert for saw a car and truck stopped at the side of a heavy movement highway. Thinking that what they were looking at was a motor vehicle accident they stopped to see if they could offer assistance. Unfortunately at that moment the pair became an imminent threat to heavily armed robbers in action. Dean was shot to death while trying to remove his seatbelt.
Traffic Accidents (that you are not involved in):
Unless you actually witness an accident happen and thus are certain what you are seeing really is an accident DO NOT STOP, not ever. If you feel you must do something note the location and phone the police to report the incident.
While Art. 304 of the Código Nacional de Trânsito requires motorists to stop and give medical assistance to victims of accidents you must remember that first of all any such law always should be construed to read “without just cause” and second that the “letter of the law” and the intent of a law are often two vastly different things. The INTENT of Art. 304 is really to require drivers who are actually involved in the accident to give aid to those injured. No law can compel anyone to put themselves in harm's way.
Unless you are a medical doctor, nurse, paramedic or someone with extensive medical knowledge (who might possibly be held to a higher standard) you are under no legal obligation to render assistance. Even if you are, you would have just cause for not doing so if you believed that it would put you in danger of any kind. Also the law itself is mute as to the nature of assistance. Legally you are only required to notify the proper authorities. Regardless of who you are, my advice would remain the same DO NOT STOP, note the location of the incident (using Km. marker signs if possible) and depending on your location dial 190 for the Military Police or 191 for the Federal Highway Police. 
Highway overpasses or pedestrian overpasses:
Exercise extreme caution when approaching highway overpasses or pedestrian overpasses, especially if you see anyone standing in a fixed location on either. Bandits use both to throw concrete blocks, bricks and large rocks on passing vehicles in order to force them to stop and thus facilitate armed robberies. Many motorists have been killed by the falling objects and many others killed by the bandits during the robbery. If possible to do so safely; when you approach an overpass (with someone standing on it) as you get close switch lanes quickly without signaling or zigzag to make yourself a much more difficult target. This will throw the would-be robber off his stride and probably prevent the incident altogether.
Road Rage can kill you in Brazil:
Brazilian motorists are the most imprudent and aggressive drivers you will ever encounter. Many Brazilians are extremely violent individuals once they get behind the steering wheel and many also carry firearms. Drive with extreme caution at all times. On highways NEVER drive in the left lane, repeat NEVER. Being a "Left Lane Hog" back home will surely piss people off, but here in Brazil it will get you killed - guaranteed! Reserve the lane for passing only and return immediately to the right lane as soon as it is safe to do so. Maintain extra distance between your vehicle and the one ahead which will afford a greater opportunity for an aggressive or impatient driver to pass you. If necessary move toward the right shoulder of the roadway in order to facilitate the motorist to pass. Driving too slowly in Brazil can often be more dangerous than driving too fast, so try to keep up to the flow of traffic, but never “dog pack”.
If you are cut off in traffic or another motorist does something stupid or unexpected NEVER get angry, NEVER swear at him/her and NEVER make any obscene hand gestures. This is all the provocation some motorists need to stop, pull out a gun and start shooting. DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION.
False police vehicles or officers:
Be warned that unlike most other civilized countries on earth in Brazil it is very easy to purchase police paraphernalia, uniforms, badges, etc. There have been many cases where robbers have used uniforms and even vehicles equipped to resemble unmarked cruisers and even counterfeit marked police cruisers to commit serious crimes. They are always heavily armed and extremely dangerous. So you can't always trust that old saying “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck”. Exercise extreme caution when you are ordered to stop by someone who appears to be in authority, especially if they are in an unmarked vehicle or not in full uniform. Be extremely vigilant if this also happens to be in some isolated location, it could be a trap. Just remember NEVER make any quick moves, remain calm, keep your hands in plain sight at all times and do EXACTLY what you're told to do without question; your life may depend on it. Remember above all – nothing you have is more valuable than your life, better to give up your belongings without any resistance and live to tell about it.
Avoid driving at night:
Most alcohol related accidents happen at night so you're improving your odds of surviving your trip greatly just by restricting your driving to daylight hours. You will also run less risk of encountering truckers and other motorists who may be drowsy and present an unnecessary hazard.
At any time of day, but especially at night, exercise caution when approaching traffic signal. If you're still a way off from a signal and you think it might turn red before you get there slow right down so you won't have to stop completely before it turns green again. If at all possible try to keep rolling, no matter how slowly. Robbers (mostly on motorcycles) target vehicles that stop at traffic signals for blitz attacks. In some larger cities motorists won't even stop for a red signal at night, so be careful when entering an intersection too. If you must stop at a traffic signal because there are other vehicles ahead of you, NEVER get too close! Always leave enough room between you and the vehicle ahead to allow you an escape route should you need it.
Brazilian highways are often poorly lit, poorly marked and signage is often obscured by vegetation or other obstructions. Road conditions in some parts of the country are precarious at best so that is also another good reason not to drive after dark if you can avoid doing so.
Follow these rules PLEASE and stay safe.
Cheers,
William James Woodward – Brazil & Canada Expert, Expat-blog Team
Staying safe on Brazil's roads and highways
Wow! This text show me that Brazil is a place like Iraq or Somalia. Amazing 
Iraq and Somalia??? Better think again - the (intentional) homicide rate in Brazil is 21.8, while it is only 1.5 in Somalia and 2.0 in Iraq.
These figures don't count war related deaths, just murders. That said, it's probably much safer there than it is here in Brazil.
Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil & Canada Expert, Expat-blog Team
Just a correction: you should avoid traffic confrontations, but with the exception of cops, law enforcement and thugs, very few normal people carry guns in Brazil. You should stay calm, and wait for the cops and everything youŽll be fine. But the other driver is not going to shoot you.
The practice of throwing blocks on the cars to rob was relatively common some years ago, but all overpasses are now wired to avoid the practice.
In Brazil, unless you driving in a federal highway, there is only one police(The State Military Police) that generally does traffic stops, so itŽs easy to recognize them. In most states, there is a Police Advocate, so, if the cops do anything wrong with you you must contact them.
In São Paulo, these cops will be dressed like that:
http://www.revistabrasileiros.com.br/wp … 3%A3o.jpeg
or That:
http://www.sindivapa.com.br/erapido/arq … e423dc.jpg
Avoid vendors and beggers during traffic light stops, and take care to not enter a wrong path and then enter a dangerous neighborhood(Remember, most homicides happens in these areas). In certain areas of São Paulo these areas are not so obvious.
Take special care with roads in mountainous regions, they have dangerous curves.
Hello AndKen,
I don't know where you are, but certainly many Brazilians carry guns illegally and many other have some other weapon of convenience in their vehicle, such as a knife, tire iron, heavy piece of wood. Just yesterday in São Paulo a motorist was stabbed to death in a confrontation with a truck drive and his helper after he made the very grave error of following the truck to look for a fight. He got out of his car with a large piece of wood (why he'd even carry that in his car while accompanied by his wife and their baby is OBVIOUS) and he was stabbed by the truck driver.
Not all pedestrian overpasses ARE protected by wire fence and the practice is quite common in many parts of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais especially. One need only read the newspapers or check the TV network websites to see just how often this takes place. Also there are other locations they simply throw large stones all over the roadway so when you blow a tire and stop they jump out of hiding and rob you. So never stop for a blown tire in an isolated location. Drive to somewhere with lots of movement. It's easier to buy a new tire (and wheel if necessary) you can't buy a second life.
While you are correct that (at least in São Paulo State) most police stops and Blitzes are conducted by uniformed police officers using marked patrol cars this is still no guarantee you're really dealing with REAL police. In Brazil it's almost as easy to buy police uniforms and accessories as it is to buy false documents. There are several cases every year of bandits disguised in police uniforms, using unmarked cars equipped with rotating lights and strobes, sirens, etc. to commit crimes. There are also numerous cases where they have even repainted vehicles and equipped them to look exactly like Civil Police, Military Police and even Federal Police vehicles. Please do your research before you post misleading information that might cost some members their lives.
Just some cloned police vehicles and false uniforms:
http://segurancaportuariaemfoco.blogspo … licia.htmlhttp://robertatrindade.wordpress.com/20 … a-clonada/http://noticias.r7.com/sao-paulo/quadri … p-23042013 WATCH THE VIDEO
http://www.sinpofesc.org.br/index.php?o … oticia=996http://oquinzenalcampestrern.blogspot.c … te-da.html
You clearly can't believe what you see in Brazil, uniforms, badges, identification and police vehicles can easily be false as the previous links prove. This does not happen in other countries since the penalties are far too severe.
Robberies involving rocks thrown from overpasses:
http://www.em.com.br/app/noticia/gerais … -381.shtmlhttp://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ … ente.shtmlhttp://www.plox.com.br/caderno/policia/ … para-brisa
I rest my case!
Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team
I once worked inside a favela, I know most dangerous areas of São Paulo, I once even physically fought with muggers. I donŽt know of a single instance where criminals used police uniforms to mug people inside cars, If you know, IŽd be thankful. Using fake police uniforms to steal cargo is one thing, to mug people IŽd be happy to know. And thinking that real cops are fake ones is much more dangerous that the opposite.
If you have a recent instance where thieves threw blocks over a overpass, IŽd be grateful.
If the matter is about saving lives, sorry, but criminals crave to weakness. Brazil has high crime rate, but every precaution should be taken with cautiousness. Looking like the clueless gringo thatŽs afraid of everything will make you an easy target for criminals.
The cases where the motorist died in Minas when a rock was thrown from an overpass was quite recent, as was another in São Paulo where bandits threw rocks from a pedestrian overpass on the Fernão Dias, the car was struck and when he got out the driver was shot to death. All of the cases linked to are recent. I didn't make any statements without proof as the links all clearly show. I know that Brazilians are overly sensitive about anything remotely resembling criticism so I don't make wild statements, only what I can back up with facts.
Certainly using police uniforms and vehicles is more common for cargo highjacks, but there have in the past couple of years been cases of false Blitzes (I believe the last one was in RJ) to rob motorists too; they also use this tactic for invading luxury condominiums.
I'm not suggesting that our members should become drooling, terrified lunatics by any means. I'm just warning them of all potential dangers and informing them what to be on the watch for.
I'm not going out of my way to offend your (somewhat misguided) sense of national pride, just telling it like it is so our members can be INFORMED and therefore stay safe.
Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team
ItŽs not a matter of national pride, IŽm the first to acknowledge real problems in my country.
itŽs a matter of reality. There are several problems with criminality in Brazil, but muggers disguised as cops are far from the one that. Yes, itŽs true, if someone throws a rock in your car while you are driving you should not stop, but I think that traffic light stops or dangerous/and or unknown neighbors in the night are a much bigger problem than these situations.
And yes, confounding real cops with fake ones is much more dangerous than meeting the fake ones. Instances where real cops shoots cars that refuses to stop during a traffic stop are more common than thugs disguised as cops robbing people.
Just some recent new articles on bandits disguised as police:
http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/sorocaba- … ta-sp.htmlhttp://globotv.globo.com/rede-paraiba/j … a/2093066/http://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/sorocaba- … roque.htmlhttp://globotv.globo.com/inter-tv-rn/rn … a/2842361/
AndKen,
This has been a problem for the 12+ years that I've been in Brazil, anybody can buy police uniforms and equipment in the country with little or no effort at all. If you aren't aware that it is a serious and ongoing problem then I'd suggest that you stop imitating an ostrich with it's head in the sand!
I'm not saying that you should try to escape from a traffic stop by uniformed police, I will agree with you on that much. What I said and continue to say is that even so, you can't just trust your eyes, the mere fact that the person is in a uniform or has a badge and ID is a guarantee he's really a cop..... BEWARE. Also I warned that REAL police don't set up traffic stops in isolated areas, it's against their policy to do so for the simple reason that more people would suspect a false blitz and try to escape.
Sorry AndKen, I still think you're talking from a severe case of wounded national pride or you're simply uninformed. I'm not just some green tourist off the plane, I've lived in this country for over 12 years in many different cities and state and probably know more about Brazil than you do, certainly know much more of this country than most Brazilians who are born, live and die in the same city without every venturing outside the city limits.
Give all of our members a break.... if you're going to continue to post conflicting opinions, which you may clearly do - then back them up with factual information, link to news articles, scientific reports etc., as I do. If not please don't post at all since your just trying to confuse our members and cast doubt on true statements.
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team
wjwoodward wrote:Brazilian motorists are the most imprudent and aggressive drivers you will ever encounter.
You've never driven in China, have you?
No Hailey I haven't, but more motorists and their passengers die on Brazilian roads each year than in all of the Vietnam War. I think that qualifies them as being among the worst and most aggressive.
Cheers,
JJ
Let's see the facts (not assumptions)
1) 1.24 million people die in cars accidents in the WORLD, not in Brazil (http://www.un.org/en/roadsafety/pdf/roa … 13_eng.pdf). The Vietnam war killed 1.49 million people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_war). So the comparison is fake.
2) Between 1980 and 2011, less than 1 million people died in Brazil in cars accidents. This is data for 31 YEARS and less than the Vietnam War (http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/cida … 9082,0.htm). Of course, in the last years, the number grew a lot but the number of the cars in all country too (just in São Paulo city we have 6 million cars right now with a poor traffic system).
And now, an advice. I really don't know how much you drove in Brazil in 12 years but I can say that you don't know anything about it and just use some "news" to share a lot of fear and doubt for expats.
I've been in 25 Brazilian states (we have 27) and I drove in all of those states. In the last 10 years I drove around one million kilometers in Brazilian roads (not in cities) and I never have any kind of problem, except for some tires that I lost or small rocks hitting me from a truck, even night and day. My wife is a logistic manager of a steel multinational company for 15 years with more than 300 truck drivers below her and they never report any kind of assault.
When an assault occurs in a road, it's a big news and the newspapers put it in the front page. Why? Because it's NOT NORMAL to see it day by day. It's like a shooting in an american school. Everybody there have a gun (I presume) but just few citizens use it to shoot children in the school. When this occurs, is a big news but I never think "the USA is a unsafe place to live and schools need a strong security to take away this kind of treat". I look the facts and statistics, not for the news.
The truth is: accidents are normal in any country with more or less injuries and dead. Yes, we have a big problem with it in Brazil. BUT if you don't know the reality here or in others places (like Hailey says in China and in Indonesia that I know a lot because I lived there), don't give YOUR opinion about the subject and don't use "news" like facts. Is easy to say "bandit kills someone in the road" but how many cars those road receive every day? How many assaults we have in Brazil every day? I can understand your feeling about the news where a Canadian citizen died in Brazil in a stupid robbery but THIS IS NOT Brazil. This is an isolate case like what I see every week in a TV series about trucks robbers in US (yes, they make a TV series about it, crazy).
For an "expert" in Brazil, you need to know a little bit more about my country and, believe me, Brazil is not only Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília. We have 5536 cities and a lot of them without cars accidents with dead and without police corruption.
Period.
pmichelazzo wrote:Let's see the facts (not assumptions)
1) 1.24 million people die in cars accidents in the WORLD, not in Brazil (http://www.un.org/en/roadsafety/pdf/roa … 13_eng.pdf). The Vietnam war killed 1.49 million people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_war). So the comparison is fake.
2) Between 1980 and 2011, less than 1 million people died in Brazil in cars accidents. This is data for 31 YEARS and less than the Vietnam War (http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/cida … 9082,0.htm). Of course, in the last years, the number grew a lot but the number of the cars in all country too (just in São Paulo city we have 6 million cars right now with a poor traffic system).
And now, an advice. I really don't know how much you drove in Brazil in 12 years but I can say that you don't know anything about it and just use some "news" to share a lot of fear and doubt for expats.
I've been in 25 Brazilian states (we have 27) and I drove in all of those states. In the last 10 years I drove around one million kilometers in Brazilian roads (not in cities) and I never have any kind of problem, except for some tires that I lost or small rocks hitting me from a truck, even night and day. My wife is a logistic manager of a steel multinational company for 15 years with more than 300 truck drivers below her and they never report any kind of assault.
When an assault occurs in a road, it's a big news and the newspapers put it in the front page. Why? Because it's NOT NORMAL to see it day by day. It's like a shooting in an american school. Everybody there have a gun (I presume) but just few citizens use it to shoot children in the school. When this occurs, is a big news but I never think "the USA is a unsafe place to live and schools need a strong security to take away this kind of treat". I look the facts and statistics, not for the news.
The truth is: accidents are normal in any country with more or less injuries and dead. Yes, we have a big problem with it in Brazil. BUT if you don't know the reality here or in others places (like Hailey says in China and in Indonesia that I know a lot because I lived there), don't give YOUR opinion about the subject and don't use "news" like facts. Is easy to say "bandit kills someone in the road" but how many cars those road receive every day? How many assaults we have in Brazil every day? I can understand your feeling about the news where a Canadian citizen died in Brazil in a stupid robbery but THIS IS NOT Brazil. This is an isolate case like what I see every week in a TV series about trucks robbers in US (yes, they make a TV series about it, crazy).
For an "expert" in Brazil, you need to know a little bit more about my country and, believe me, Brazil is not only Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília. We have 5536 cities and a lot of them without cars accidents with dead and without police corruption.
Period.
You are the first Brazilian I have heard say there are other cities in Brazil besides SP and RJ. Glad to know someone else thinks Manaus is a city in Brazil.
However I can tell you the roads in the Amazonas are terrible, including metropolitan Manaus. If you do not agree with that then you are used to substandard infrastructure.
I know what is "roads" in Manaus and in Amazonia. I have been there (Manaus) 5 times and I drove between Manaus and Boa Vista (and after that, Venezuela), 3 times.
I think that the Amazon forest share the situation with Alaska, no? Every time that I watch "Frozen Roads" in my TV, I think "they're so f***** like people in Amazon forest". It's crazy but believe, I know worst roads in Brazil (e.g. Transamazônica).
To finish, I lived in those Brazilian cities in my life: São Paulo, Rio, Brasília, Poços de Caldas, Bauru, Valinhos, Campinas, João Monlevade, Florianópolis and João Pessoa.
Ok, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, just like the phrase from the old TV Series Dragnet....
The number of traffic related deaths each year per 100 thousand inhabitants in Brazil is 22.5. In the USA that it is only 10.4 (less than half), in Canada it is 6.8 per 100 thousand (less than 1/3 that of Brazil). In the Americas only Ecuador (27.0), Guyana (27.8) and Venezuela (37.2) have a higher rate of traffic deaths. I don't think that being ranked as the 4th most dangerous in the Americas for road deaths is something to be bragged about, not by any means. Statistics have proven time-and-time-again that fully 80 percent of all accidents in Brazil are frontal collisions. In other words, somebody in the wrong lane of traffic! Why? Well passing where prohibited is the biggest cause according to police.
I must apologize, my comparison to the Vietnam War was mis-stated and incorrect. It was not "FAKE", just incorrect. I really meant to compare it to the total number of US troops who died in combat during the war. That figure is 47,355 from beginning to end. With figures from 2010 (the most recent I can find) over 35,000 people die in traffic accidents per year placing Brazil firmly in 5th place in the top 5 countries in the world in terms of traffic deaths. So you see that even with old figures there almost as many road deaths each year in Brazil as US combat deaths in all the Vietnam War (actual difference is probably closer to 10,000).
Actually, I've lived in 5 Brazilian states and driven in 2 other. Paulistanos drive like madmen, speed like crazy, but on average at least they know HOW to drive. They are extremely aggressive drivers. Mineiros are probably among the worst drivers I've ever seen in my entire life. They have absolutely no concept of the term "Defensive Driving", I think they believe that means driving an army tank to be honest. There are more motorists in Minas Gerais who either have counterfeit Driver's Licenses or drive without a license than in any other Brazilian state. This according to a report from DETRAN. I've never felt so UNSAFE while driving in my entire life as I have since coming to Brazil. so much so that I have recently stopped driving altogether and feel much better for it. Just to set the record straight I have driven for 41 years, during that time I have never been involved in an accident that was my fault (even partially) and I've never once received a fine or demerit points. For 28 of those years I drove a public transport bus (even articulated) and never even had a passenger fall on the floor. I doubt that you'll ever find a Brazilian driver who can make that kind of claim!!!
Regarding cargo hijackings and robberies where rocks are thrown from overpasses links to those were posted in my previous postings.
So, I think that I have a fairly good idea about what I'm saying here. Apart from the mis-statement of the Vietnam War, I don't think there is absolutely anything that I would need to retract.
Your comments and feedback are very much appreciated. It's clear that accidents happen everywhere in the world, nobody is arguing that point. That said, given that Brazil is No. 5 on the "hit parade" it certainly is a country where extraordinary precautions must be taken. I don't think you will deny that.
Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team
I don't know about Brazil, but about 300,000 people die in traffic accidents in China every year. That's with only something like 10% of the population driving cars. Wait until the economy improves and more people can afford to drive.
pmichelazzo wrote:I think that the Amazon forest share the situation with Alaska, no? Every time that I watch "Frozen Roads" in my TV, I think "they're so fucked like people in Amazon forest". It's crazy but believe, I know worst roads in Brazil (e.g. Transamazônica).
Unnecessary language aside, the people of Alaska don't crash into each other and hijack cars at the drop of a hat.
Yikes, now you're scaring me Hailey!
Cheers,
JJ
Which one? China or Alaska?
pmichelazzo wrote:I know what is "roads" in Manaus and in Amazonia. I have been there (Manaus) 5 times and I drove between Manaus and Boa Vista (and after that, Venezuela), 3 times.
I think that the Amazon forest share the situation with Alaska, no? Every time that I watch "Frozen Roads" in my TV, I think "they're so[] like people in Amazon forest". It's crazy but believe, I know worst roads in Brazil (e.g. Transamazônica).
To finish, I lived in those Brazilian cities in my life: São Paulo, Rio, Brasília, Poços de Caldas, Bauru, Valinhos, Campinas, João Monlevade, Florianópolis and João Pessoa.
Ok, swallow you national pride and your statistics. And please watch your language as it is against forum rules. No one cares how many states and cities you have been to.
Having LIVED in Alaska for 1 year I can tell you the roads are just like the roads and highways in any other US city or state. Unlike Brazil, the roads are strictly regulated and must meet size and weight limits. Traffic laws are obeyed and laws are enforced.
In Brazil specifically the Amazonas, I often felt like I was in a lawless country, breaking the law myself by driving at speed in excess of 120km/h. Had I done that in the US I would have been in jail because someone would have called the police on me or one would have spotted me. And yes, cell phone service is available in Alaska. In Brazil driving recklessly is promoted and is like a competition among friends. How nice? Thankfully I am alive today.
The highway you are referring to is the Dalton Highway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Highway) and it is traveled mostly by truck drivers.
Please do not compare the Amazonas to any other US state or territory to include Puerto Rico, because the DOT actually does what it is supposed to do. Manage and regulate the roads for the safety of all, including Brazilian tourists.
having lived and driven in Alaska for decades I can attest to the fact that there are crazy, irresponsible and impaired (alcohol, drugs, meds) drivers in Alaska as well as in Rio. Like the Amazonian region, there are no roads at all in most of the state of Alaska and some cities and villages are isolated in a similar situation as Manaus. People coming to Alaska have to learn and adapt just like they do when they move to Brazil. Some people don't like it so they leave. Nobody is forced to live or drive in Alaska or Brazil or Rio against their will. If a person is willing to move to a different country or state, he/she needs to be open minded to adapt or they are probably better off staying home. But helpful information is good to have, it makes the adaptation process much easier.
Thank you, William, for the great information you share in the forum.
Hi Mablima,
Thanks for your vote of confidence and for UNDERSTANDING the reason for this post being written in the first place.... giving our members the useful information that they need in order to stay safe.
Unfortunately, this is Brazil and ANYTHING that remotely resembles any kind of criticism here, whether it is or isn't, gets most Brazilians offended. They have a blind sense of national pride and the attitude that while THEY can complain about this country nobody else can. Then they defend it like it was perfect. We all know that simply is not true. They take criticism, no matter how justified, as a personal attack on them and their country.
Many expats come here each year and have absolutely no option but to drive. While they choose to drive, it's really a choice that is essentially forced upon them by the situation and those are the very people this article was written for, in order to keep them safe by giving them the maximum of factual information possible.
Know what? I really don't care how many Brazilians that pisses off! The article is for the safety of our members and until a Brazilian can show PROOF that what is posted here is not true they can complain all they want. I link to facts when I make a statement. I use official figure readily available on the internet, so they can say what they want. It rolls off my back like water off a duck.
Again thanks for your kind words and mostly for your understanding.
Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team
Alaska isn't littered with roads and highways, but that doesn't make it a haven for thieves and murderers. This topic is about how dangerous it is to drive in Brazil, not how Alaska's natural beauty hasn't been completely paved over.
The following Volkswagen road safety video should be a required part of the instruction for obtaining a Driver's License in Brazil (and probably the whole world). Despite the fact that using a cellular telephone while driving is a violation of the Código Nacional de Transito almost all Brazilian drivers do it anyway.
I wonder if the know or even care that using a cellular phone has no surpassed drunk driving to become the leading cause of traffic deaths worldwide? This video speaks for itself. You only need see the look on the movie-goers faces when their attention goes back to the movie screen to understand that they got the message! How about you, did you get the message?
VW - "Eyes on the road"
Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team
HaileyinHongKong wrote:wjwoodward wrote:Brazilian motorists are the most imprudent and aggressive drivers you will ever encounter.
You've never driven in China, have you?
Have you driven in China? Just asking. I notice you are in hong kong, but it's different like night and day from china.)
I haven't driven in either Brazil or China, however, I've spent enough time on the road in both to comment. I've been in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. I've been in Sao Paulo (although not recently) and in Rio and Macae and on the roads between. I love driving, but I have zero interest in driving in either. This is my observation. It is a generality and I hope it goes without saying that it doesn't apply to everyone. Drivers in China and Brazil are very different.
In China, typical "middle class" drivers tend to be very inexperienced. If you watch traffic cam videos from china on youtube, you will be shocked at the incredible accidents that happen mainly because the drivers haven't got a clue what they are doing. I don't think the characterization of imprudent and aggressive generally applies to drivers in china. Really in a word, it's clueless. I heard I said that the average amount of driving experience in China is 17 minutes. You can say anything you want with statistics, but there is more than a grain of truth in that.
In Brazil, typical drivers are much more experienced than in China and I agree that they are aggressive and they take a lot of risks. I see this sort of behavior all the time in Rio and particularly between Rio and Macae. Thankfully I haven't been involved in any accidents and experienced aggression or violence, but I see a lot of accidents. (Being a car watcher, I also notice relatively few nice cars in Brazil, not that that has anything to do with the topic.)
I drove briefly in Rio and Sao Paulo in 1988 and it was bad enough then so I would guess it is a s##tfight now.
I was in Belo Horizonte stayed in a suburb near Venda Nova the roads had big pot holes. Also the homes were in the hills most people have cars with clutch. The buses drive fast like suggested at night you would not see the large pot holes. I did see one accident a bus hit a car but the people were alright. If you rent a car you may want to request a automatic. The roads need repair only ones that were in good shape were there freeways. It the motorcycles that are the most crazy they come up on both sides of your car no warning.
I hear you bigtime, Vegas. Having myself lived in Belo Horizonte (Venda Nova area) for many years I know exactly what you mean. In fact I exploded 2 brand new Michelin tires at the same time in a pot hole on the "orla" of the Lagoa de Pampulha which is the road running around one of the most visited areas of Belo Horizonte and despite that little fact is left in deplorable condition. It was at night and the accident was provoked by a cyclist, of course with no lights and dark clothing, who was riding in the roadway instead of using the paved bicycle path that runs alongside the road. The area itself is poorly lit to begin with and as fate would have it by the time I was finally able to see him and move to the left to avoid hitting him I drove right through a pothole big enough to swallow a VW Beetle.
It might interest you to know that the viaduct under construction that collapsed the other day, killing two people was right near Venda Nova.
The problem isn't unique to Belo Horizonte, sad to say. It is a curse all over this country. It's so widespread that Brazilians even have a joke about the problem... "Tem dois tipos de estradas, aqueles com pedágios ou as buracadas!" (There are two types of roads, toll roads and those with potholes!). Truer words were never spoken.
Bus drivers in Belo Horizonte are without a doubt the absolute worst in all of Brazil, they're maniacs on wheels. The run red lights, the change lanes without signalling, the leave the curb on major multi-lane downtown avenues (again without signalling) and cross 4 or 5 lanes of traffic without so much as a care who is approaching from behind. It's up to the motorist to look out for them, or so they think! They're so bad that I always joked with my wife that it was the only city in the world that needed a sign on every corner... "Perigo ônibus a vista" (Danger bus in sight).
I lived in Porto Seguro for a couple of years and during all that time the road that ran along the beachfront, most frequented by the tourists, was so full of potholes that I was beginning to believe that the mayor had relatives who owned tire shops, sold leaf springs and shocks, or owned scrap yards. Nothing was done that whole time to repair the pavement. The month before the municipal elections the road was repaved and smooth as silk! Gee, I wonder why that happened? Likewise, for the entire two years that I had my own school in the downtown center of the city, the municipal government never found the time or money to replace the sewer grate right in front of the school that had been stolen for scrap metal value. This, despite the fact that no less than 3 cars every single day ended up dropping a wheel into the gaping hole often causing significant damage to the car, which many owners would no doubt take legal action against the city to recover their losses. Here too a new grate appeared as if by magic a few weeks before the elections.
In São Paulo the greatest danger is the roadway opening up beneath you and your car getting swallowed up by a huge crater. This because SABESP (the water and sewer company) despite all the lip service they pay to conserving water and reducing use do nothing for weeks or months when they get a report of a leaking water main. Then too the storm drains and culverts get plugged or are too small for the amount of rainwater they are supposed to handle and the erosion caused by the excess water flow that is diverted around them cases craters to form. I've seen passenger cars and even trucks and buses swallowed almost whole by craters. The photo below is one of the many São Paulo "victims" of SABESP.
Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team
"And please watch your language as it is against forum rules. No one cares how many states and cities you have been to." So, are you giving your opinion or are you the blog police? By the way you are talking.It's seems like you think you make the laws here.I am new here and just trying to clarify a few things !!!!!!! What language ? I care what cities and states people have visited!!!!!!
rc206 wrote:"And please watch your language as it is against forum rules. No one cares how many states and cities you have been to." So, are you giving your opinion or are you the blog police? By the way you are talking.It's seems like you think you make the laws here.I am new here and just trying to clarify a few things !!!!!!! What language ? I care what cities and states people have visited!!!!!!
Who are you addressing?
This was for usmc_mv . He said ! "Ok, swallow you national pride and your statistics. And please watch your language as it is against forum rules. No one cares how many states and cities you have been to" .
Since that is what he said. I was kinda joking but also wondering why he felt the need to tell people what to do.I thought that was for the moderators but maybe this site is different then others that I have been on !
I want to apologize to usmc_mv about his post ! As I didn't know he was part of the expat team.So, I see why he made his comments. It was explained to me how the system works on this site and who is on the team ! Thanks William James Woodward for taking the time to explain everything to me !!!!!! It appears I need to think a bit longer before I post comments ! lol
That's ok, we were all new here once. No harm no foul.
I lived in Brasil off and on from 2001 to 2008 and drove all over.
I lived in Santa Catarina and visited Porto Alegre and all the cities in between.
Then in 2004 I decided to leave SC and drive north till I found a new place to live.
I drove all the way north on the BR101 and checked out numerous cities on the way.
The BR101 sure had some terrible areas north of RIO; full of big potholes and areas that were very narrow. I saw one car who tried to pass a truck but encountered another big truck coming the other way. His car got crushed like a tin can in between. Looked like a pancake, I am sure they guy died.
After getting gas one day up north I asked the attendant if he had um Coca ? He replied, no we don't have any drugs for sale ! I said NO, I meant CocaCola ! Oh, ok he said and got me one.
Ended up in Paraiba and survived the trip. Nothing busted and I didn't get robbed.
I drive aggressively like most Brasilians anyway so I fit right in here.
Have a fist full of speeding tickets to show for it, most by electronic speed traps.
Once I brought my radar detector from the states here, they dropped dramatically.
I think most Brasilians are fantastic defensive drivers. Who are always winning F1 races ? BRASILIANS of course.
Guy,
Driving defensively (in Brazil) means that you drive a Sherman Tank or other Armored Personnel Carrier. 
I will say that I wanted to RUN OVER AND KILL a motorcyclist north of Sao Paulo on the BR101.
He was riding my ass and I slammed on the brakes. He passed me and did the same thing.
If I had been driving a big Ford truck I would not have even touched the brakes and kept going.
I did laugh my ass off one time here in Recife. Was driving down a one way small street near the beach and a motorcyclist blew by me. It was a residential street. In the next block at the intersection I found this moron lying on the street all busted up and moaning. He got clobbered by a crossing car that had the right of way.
Laughed all the way to the beach.
I been in Brazil many time in the last two years was there in September 2014 Salvador. I have not driven in Brazil was offer a car but since can not speak Portuguese well or know the signs I declined. The only roads I would drive would be the freeways. I just remember I did drive from Porto Seguro to Trancoso. Like FloridaGuyinBR said the roads have many big pot holes and bad speed bumps this is why I think the car repair business there is booming. The motorcycles are crazy and my pet name for them mosquitos they buzz around you and very annoying. I have driven in Buenos Aires Argentina better roads but still crazy.
Yes sir, the whole south of Bahia is that way. I think that every politician there has a brother in the scrap car business, or maybe tire repair and sales!
Heading south from Porto Seguro on BR-101 you're taking your life in your hands until you reach the border with Espirito Santo, then the highway is as smooth as silk.
Your tips are so valuable we are so lucky to have someone like you helping us out here in brazil.
Thanks a lot.....
Josephine
Thankyou for you wonderful comments Josephine, knowing that I'm really helping people is what keeps me going strong. Since it's a volunteer position you can tell that I'm not here for the big bucks!
Cheers,
James Expat-blog Experts Team
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