Driving in Costa Rica

Like most Latin countries people drive crazy as compared to most places in the states. It's a whole other level.

They will do stuff like park right in the road and you'll have to go around them.
If you have an accident on the highway, the law is NOT to move your car at all so tons of cars could get stuck behind you while waiting for the police to come before you can move your car.

Taxi drivers are absolutely nuts.

Truck drivers will come around blind curves in your lane and run you off the road.

It's a mine field of potential danger, driving in Costa Rica, especially in San Jose'. I would avoid driving in San Jose' at all costs. What I do is take a taxi into San Jose if I have to go there, from the airport. Then take a taxi back to the airport area (across the street) to pick up a car for the next day or 2nd day travel by car. I'd rather spend the extra time and money to do that, than to drive in San Jose. I'm a very good driver and can be aggressive when the situation calls for it. But driving in San Jose is a whole other level of crazy. The taxis run red lights, there are too many one way streets, you have to stop on steep hills so if you have a clutch that can be daunting... Pedestrians run in front of you... you name it.

And even driving in some lesser sized cities can be dangerous simply because their signs are posted differently than we in the USA post them. That is, they are not always where and how you would expect them to be located and so are easy to miss.

Sometimes they have stop signs at signals so you have to get used to ignoring the Stop signs and only pay attention to the signal. Weird.

Etiquette: forget it. There is little of that. But what country is that in abundance? Not where I've lived in the USA...

All in all, driving is more dangerous in  Costa Rica than in the USA. But it's not prohibitively dangerous. It's just that you will want to be a lot more defensive and really on your toes when you drive in Costa Rica! As for San Jose', plenty of people - even gringos - do it, but I will avoid it as much as I can.

Good morning,
Well, you said it all. It is like you said. Driving in San Jose is like playing a computer game.....fast reflexes. You never know what the vehicle next to you might do and especially, first thing in the morning, there are more people crossing the street than vehicles. In the USA, you cross the street usually at crosswalks and at the corner or you might get a ticket for Jay Walking. Not here, you cross whenever and where ever you please. Now you are dodging people too.Practice up on your Pac Man skills  :l ol: or get some practice in NY or LA
Have a great day

One of the worst places is near a pedestrian bridge in the cities, which most folk ignore.

In the rural areas it is underage drivers who can't see over the steering wheel or an adult with a very small child in their lap.

Another common problem is wheelchairs in the road, so watch out for these.

You may want to read this article in qcostarica regarding a common road problem.

Coloradomike wrote:

Good morning,
Well, you said it all. It is like you said. Driving in San Jose is like playing a computer game.....fast reflexes. You never know what the vehicle next to you might do and especially, first thing in the morning, there are more people crossing the street than vehicles. In the USA, you cross the street usually at crosswalks and at the corner or you might get a ticket for Jay Walking. Not here, you cross whenever and where ever you please. Now you are dodging people too.Practice up on your Pac Man skills  :l ol: or get some practice in NY or LA
Have a great day

LOL. I don't think even Los Angeles or New York prepare one for the craziness of  Costa Rica drivers or the poor/weird signage, pedestrians running in front of you, taxis cutting in and out of traffic, etc. in Costa Rica!

Driving in C/R? A true challenge in the cities manly but the autopistoff can be a nightmare.I live around San Ramon Alajuala and its easier,less traffic.Lets be unpoliticaly correct. I have lived and driven several countries but for just plain IGNORANT C/R has got then all beat. Dont get me wrong ,I love the people here and the pace of life and hope to stay here for a long time if not forever. Drive far ahead of your vehicle and especially around turns. I know in my area they are always in my lane and i have learned to hold my ground and not run  off the road.I  Drive with care and slow down.

Many people comment on the aggressive or reckless driving habits of Costa Ricans but as I am originally from London, I question how dangerous drivers here are compared to cab drivers in my city!  Certainly, defensive driving is advisable but if you have some experience of driving outside of a western country, then driving in Costa Rica shouldn't be too tricky.  Driving in Cairo or even Paris can be a lot more hair-raising!

Road conditions are improving all the time but the potholes continue, especially once you venture outside of the Central Valley.  Many roads are through mountains and drivers need to exercise caution with sharp bends and often challenging weather conditions, like driving rain or mist. The road conditions also result in journey times being longer than may be anticipated.  Use a reliable source, like yourtravelmap.com for accurate driving times bewteen destinations.  A GPS system can be very helpful too, as there are no street names or numbers and although highways are numbered, signage may not be obvious.

However, with a bit of commonsense, driving in Costa Rica is a fantastic way to see the country.  Hidden corners and deserted beaches cannot be enjoyed in the same one with public transport or shuttle bus.

I have found WAZE to be the bet help when driving anywhere in the world.If your not using WAZE you are not avoiding a lot of headaches. just remember it can take you on  rough dirt roads that might require 4x4 but most the time on you will be on paved roads.

davidraycr wrote:

...Drive far ahead of your vehicle and especially around turns. I know in my area they are always in my lane and i have learned to hold my ground and not run  off the road.I  Drive with care and slow down.

You make a very good point here!
I have almost been run off of the road as trucks come around curves in MY lane, heading towards me. I have seen others run off on the road going out to Los Angeles (or to Arenal) from San Ramon.
You MUST be very alert and drive DEFENSIVELY, especially on highways.
Personally I find the autopista better than the non-freeways. It's the regular highways that are the most dangerous in my opinion.

I love the driving habits of Costa Ricans.   Compared to what I saw in ABQ. NM, and cities like Chicago or Phoenix, Costa Ricans are much more tolerant, much more courteous, and use a whole lot more common sense in getting around.   My experience in the States, is no one lets another person in their lane.  If someone needs to exit right,in the next 500 yards,   good luck.  Every driver wants to make that car get behind them, NOT in front of them!!!   The car trying to merge right almost has to come to a stop before someone will let them merge.   
Half the drivers get in the passing lane ( the Left median lane, for the clueless ) and stay there.   it does not matter if a dozen faster drivers are stacked up behind them, it is "their" piece of road, and they are not moving for anyone.   ( This type of driving has increased with the level of entitlement most States citizens seem to feel entitled to in the rest of their daily lives ).   

The states has more rules and more accidents than what I have witnessed here in Costa Rica.  The states also seem to have a lot more police officers who's task is to issue tickets and fund the City Hall budget.  These officers issue ticket after ticket for what amounts to chicken s**t violations just to meet quota's imposed on them by the City Mayor to Police Chief, to keep paying for the bloated bureaucracies.  This crap conduct does nothing to make the roads safer or more conducive to moving traffic along quicker.  It has to do with municipal budgets.     

In CR, and in San Jose in particular, common sense rules the road.   Is it stupid to sit at a traffic light when no other cars are within sight?  You betcha.   Is it stupid to complain about hitting a telephone pole on the side of the road (versus the sidewalk where the others are located )when had you not been texting someone or talking to a friend, or any other act distracting your attention, you would have seen it and not hit it?  You betcha.   If one is sitting in a line of traffic moving at 5mph, does it make sense to be courteous and let a driver from a side road or store parking lot, into the line ahead of you?   you bet your sweet bippy it does.   

I do not know if the culture of Costa Ricans is responsible for the daily acts of common courtesy I see here on the roads or the generally lower level of controlled traffic or conditions of the roads that encourages people to be more relaxed about other's driving habits.   But, I love it.   Does it bother me when a car in the lane next to me decides to proceed thru a red light?  not in the least.  and I have not seen any other driver get upset.   But try that in the US and you'll have a handful of rule enforcers honk vociferously at you.  ( yes, I've been honked at ).

I can only hope that most of the US citizens who move here are too scared to drive their fancy cars here.  keep them OFF the road and in the taxis or buses!!   it makes everything else much easier for Tico's or others who use common sense to drive and do not rely on rules or painted lines to make their driving experience equal to that of a nearly-blind 80 year old.

sporto505 wrote:

I love the driving habits of Costa Ricans.   Compared to what I saw in ABQ. NM, and cities like Chicago or Phoenix, Costa Ricans are much more tolerant, much more courteous, and use a whole lot more common sense in getting around.   My experience in the States, is no one lets another person in their lane.  If someone needs to exit right,in the next 500 yards,   good luck.  Every driver wants to make that car get behind them, NOT in front of them!!!   The car trying to merge right almost has to come to a stop before someone will let them merge.   
Half the drivers get in the passing lane ( the Left median lane, for the clueless ) and stay there.   it does not matter if a dozen faster drivers are stacked up behind them, it is "their" piece of road, and they are not moving for anyone.   ( This type of driving has increased with the level of entitlement most States citizens seem to feel entitled to in the rest of their daily lives ).   

The states has more rules and more accidents than what I have witnessed here in Costa Rica.  The states also seem to have a lot more police officers who's task is to issue tickets and fund the City Hall budget.  These officers issue ticket after ticket for what amounts to chicken s**t violations just to meet quota's imposed on them by the City Mayor to Police Chief, to keep paying for the bloated bureaucracies.  This crap conduct does nothing to make the roads safer or more conducive to moving traffic along quicker.  It has to do with municipal budgets.     

In CR, and in San Jose in particular, common sense rules the road.   Is it stupid to sit at a traffic light when no other cars are within sight?  You betcha.   Is it stupid to complain about hitting a telephone pole on the side of the road (versus the sidewalk where the others are located )when had you not been texting someone or talking to a friend, or any other act distracting your attention, you would have seen it and not hit it?  You betcha.   If one is sitting in a line of traffic moving at 5mph, does it make sense to be courteous and let a driver from a side road or store parking lot, into the line ahead of you?   you bet your sweet bippy it does.   

I do not know if the culture of Costa Ricans is responsible for the daily acts of common courtesy I see here on the roads or the generally lower level of controlled traffic or conditions of the roads that encourages people to be more relaxed about other's driving habits.   But, I love it.   Does it bother me when a car in the lane next to me decides to proceed thru a red light?  not in the least.  and I have not seen any other driver get upset.   But try that in the US and you'll have a handful of rule enforcers honk vociferously at you.  ( yes, I've been honked at ).

I can only hope that most of the US citizens who move here are too scared to drive their fancy cars here.  keep them OFF the road and in the taxis or buses!!   it makes everything else much easier for Tico's or others who use common sense to drive and do not rely on rules or painted lines to make their driving experience equal to that of a nearly-blind 80 year old.

Sporto, I would be interested to know what area of  Costa Rica you are used to driving in.
Because you sure don't see any of what you describe, above, around San Jose! Nor on the autopista going west.

Glad it's good for you, though, and I 100% agree with you about the system of giving tickets to make money, in the USA. Unfortunately I see the same thing beginning to take place in Costa Rica, except that so far, yet, they don't have the budget to hire more ticket-givers. But they've put the system in place, with VERY high fines for things like speeding, no left turns, uturns, etc etc.

Let's hope that this experience you have of "considerate" drivers does indeed spread all over Costa Rica! Because where I have driven, I just don't see it. And when I spoke of running red lights in San Jose I was not speaking of someone who is stopped and then decides to go through because there's no traffic. I have no problem with that. What I have seen - and many others see regularly I'm sure - is that taxis just barrel through without stopping at all. I have no idea how they figure this is safe but they do it, just as big trucks do come around blind curves in YOUR lane.

Good luck and all I can say is do not ASSUME that the Tico drivers are considerate or safe in every case, because many of us are reporting that they are not and one MUST drive very defensively and carefully in Costa Rica!

I hate it that most people walking or riding bikes wear dark clothing at night time.  I have also seen, on more than one occasion, people laying down on the edge of the road with their heads just inches away from being smushed.

I've gotten fairly used to driving in CR using a mixture of defensive driving and aggressive driving.  You always need to be paying attention and be prepared for the unexpected.  But sometimes you need to be a little aggressive when passing or trying to change lanes - Ticos won't wait for you if you are hesitant.  I find that Ticos either drive too fast or too slow - not many in between!  Some are considerate, but I've encountered more blatantly inconsiderate driver's in CR than I have in the USA. For example, one day I was pulling out of a parking lot to turn into the far lane of a 2-lane road. The ramp from the parking lot was at an angle to the road, requiring me to make an extra wide turn.  I didn't quite complete the turn, so I looked backwards to backup across the roadway, and then turned frontwards to complete my turn.  I was about to step on the gas when I saw a Tico quickly swerve around the front of my car in his car to get past me.  It was obvious that I was about to drive forward, but he was in too much of a hurry to wait for me - and perhaps he wanted me to pull forward and hit him so that I would have to buy him a new car!  I've never had that happen in the USA, but I've encountered similar situations in CR where someone feels I'm slowing them down.

Hola samramon.  I live in Santa Ana.  I regularly drive to Heredia and San Pedro weekly, along w/ occasional trips to the Ocean etc.  I suspect that Ticos drive pretty much the same way regardless of where one lives in the central valley.   I think how one views Tico driving habits is directly related to how one drives.  I would guess you are a cautious driver who waits for a wide open clearing in traffic to merge or turn.  I do not.  I see a gap, I take it.  I don't see a gap I signal other drivers to see which one will let me in.  always, I am waived into traffic w/in seconds.   good luck with your turns at the wheel.  :0)

I agree that driving in San Jose leaves much to be desired, however I cope quite well everywhere else by using the philosophy that 'everyone else has the right of way'.

Okay I just had a recent 10 days in Costa Rica with a rental car and here's my report re Tico driving and driving in Costa Rica in general:

Ticos are way worse drivers than Americans (in general)!
Ticos will double park on a busy street or even on a busy highway even IF they can pull over and park more out of the way so as not to impede traffic. This is rude AND dangerous!

Ticos will make maneuvers in heavy traffic that even a Los Angeleno will not do, mostly because in the U.S.A if you get caught pulling that kind of crap you'll likely get a very heavy fine for reckless driving and endangerment.

Traffic? HORRIBLE in San Jose! Holy Congestion, Batman! I rarely see the kind of horrible traffic in Los Angeles that is part of the daily routine in San Jose! Gridlock is constant it would seem (maybe not at night?).

Worst traffic I saw outside of SJ was in San Antonio de Belen out by the airport. Yowza! Krrrr-ayzee! Gridlock. Lines and lines of traffic going in every direction, none of it moving!

Thank goodness I will be living on a lousy dirt road with almost no traffic, and I will take the bus when I go into San Jose whenever possible.

Driving in Costa Rica is just horrible.

Note to sporto505: I am a pretty aggressive driver and actually complain when people do not go when they can. But in Costa Rica people drive so crazy it has me spooked. So I am becoming much more a defensive driver if not timid.

My #1 pet peeve with Ticos is that they double park all the time and impede traffic by doing so. This is so rude and inconsiderate it does not fit with the general perception I have of Ticos.

What is an "American Driver"?

" that kinda crap".  As I mulled over this term it occurred to me this goofball conduct exhibited by Tico drivers, is perhaps one thing I find most endearing about this country.  whether it is double parking on a busy street, or making a u-turn across six lanes of traffic, this kind of driving expresses "freedom" to me and in-turn, "acceptance" or something close to it.

For sure, I am spoiled here because when I drive I am not trying to get to work on time, nor meet a client, or make a meeting across town.   So I don't feel the stress I once did getting somewhere on time.  I suspect with such deadlines, internally imposed or otherwise, I would not be so forgiving of admittedly rude or selfish behavior.  However, that said, I find this goofy conduct endearing because it expresses common sense and freedom to me.  The mild mellow Tico way of life where they accept these goofy incidents, find ways to go around the blockage, and go on with their lives without making a fuss about it is attractive.  It instills a communal sense of life.  This acceptance by Tico's is a direct expression of the attraction of these peoples and their society.  They don't sweat the small stuff. 

America is all about assigning blame and a transfer of some wealth ( or penalty ) based on fault.  While that system exists here, it does not appear to be paramount.  Rather, going along and getting along is paramount.  That attitude permits the occasional goof who doesn't have time to park four blocks away, so he/she double parks.  And the Tico response I see is patience and accommodation.  They go around, wait quietly, whatever.   They recognize the common sense of running a red light when no other cars are around an intersection.   I agree.  Common sense to me. 

WHY sit there waiting when the purpose of the traffic light is temporarily moot?  " Because its the law" is the US retort.  So the law trumps common sense.  The majority of americans seem to love laws and security.  Try running a red light in America and it is no, no, no, no on every end of the scale.   Cars honk at you even though there is not another moving car in sight.  Traffic tickets are at flood level because they finance local government.   Personally, I am grateful for Costa Rican drivers.  :0)

sporto505 wrote:

" that kinda crap".  As I mulled over this term it occurred to me this goofball conduct exhibited by Tico drivers, is perhaps one thing I find most endearing about this country.  whether it is double parking on a busy street, or making a u-turn across six lanes of traffic, this kind of driving expresses "freedom" to me and in-turn, "acceptance" or something close to it.

For sure, I am spoiled here because when I drive I am not trying to get to work on time, nor meet a client, or make a meeting across town.   So I don't feel the stress I once did getting somewhere on time.  I suspect with such deadlines, internally imposed or otherwise, I would not be so forgiving of admittedly rude or selfish behavior.  However, that said, I find this goofy conduct endearing because it expresses common sense and freedom to me.  The mild mellow Tico way of life where they accept these goofy incidents, find ways to go around the blockage, and go on with their lives without making a fuss about it is attractive.  It instills a communal sense of life.  This acceptance by Tico's is a direct expression of the attraction of these peoples and their society.  They don't sweat the small stuff. 

America is all about assigning blame and a transfer of some wealth ( or penalty ) based on fault.  While that system exists here, it does not appear to be paramount.  Rather, going along and getting along is paramount.  That attitude permits the occasional goof who doesn't have time to park four blocks away, so he/she double parks.  And the Tico response I see is patience and accommodation.  They go around, wait quietly, whatever.   They recognize the common sense of running a red light when no other cars are around an intersection.   I agree.  Common sense to me. 

WHY sit there waiting when the purpose of the traffic light is temporarily moot?  " Because its the law" is the US retort.  So the law trumps common sense.  The majority of americans seem to love laws and security.  Try running a red light in America and it is no, no, no, no on every end of the scale.   Cars honk at you even though there is not another moving car in sight.  Traffic tickets are at flood level because they finance local government.   Personally, I am grateful for Costa Rican drivers.  :0)

You do make some good points about the endearing qualities of Ticos and their way of thinking.

That said, I was not speaking of a driver stopping at a red light then deciding to go when there is no traffic. No, I am speaking of drivers simply running red lights, not even stopping. It's a form of Russian Roulette with cars, I guess, which is not cool under any circumstances imho.

Yes I not only have seen this, I have seen it many times when I'm in a taxi in San Jose' - far too often when my taxista is the guy doing it!

By the way on my recent trip I decided to drive my rental car to and from the Paseo Colon office. My thought was, "Paseo Colon is on the way out of town so it should not be hard to get in and out of that end of town; I won't drive anywhere else in San Jose'!

The pick up and getting out of town went just fine.
But coming back to return the car, it took me nearly an hour to get to where I wanted to go. Traffic was gridlocked everywhere I turned, one ways prevented me from going where I wanted to get to, then caused me to get lost. Gridlock made me wait 15 min to go 3 blocks. It was HORRIBLE. Way worse than the worst areas of the USA imho. (The problem was I thought there'd be a gas station just outside of town but there was not or I didn't see one. So when I got into town I had to get gas before returning the car. Finding a gas station got me horribly messed up. You could make an argument that if I knew where I was going it would have been better. Yes, true. Better, but still horrible due to traffic.

Let's put it this way:
My resolve not to drive in or near San Jose' was reinforced. I will park SOMEWHERE (still have to figure out where) on the outer edge of San Jose then take a taxi in there from now on. If I have to rent a car or if a friend does, I will do so at the office not at but near the airport. Better to pay the taxi fee into town than to drive in and out of SJ. That's my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own.

As to tickets, yes they are used in the USA to finance the City government and yes it is a lousy aspect of living in the USA. That said, I wonder if Costa Rica is not taking a page from our book and beginning to do the same thing? Have you read of the high ticket costs for things like speeding and uturns? I am all for punishing people but tickets the same cost as in the U.S. to people who are living on far less, who don't make $50-100k a year? I think it's criminal.

I wonder how many tickets are being given out to Ticos and how many are given out to Gringos? And I wonder how many are given out in general? And where the money goes? I hope that these tickets are only given out when the officer really sees a danger in it, not just to every "by the book" violation. Here in the USA they are given out with much enthusiasm, completely "by the book"; they love giving them out!

Yes, I agree, rush hour in San Jose is absurd.  I don't go there at that time anymore.  The government bans all cars with license plates ending in 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, etc, with the respective day of the week, M-F.   It doesn't even begin to help.   to be effective, the number of cars needs to be cut by one third minimum. 

I agree the ticket penalties are also absurd.  How can anyone pay those, even gringos!!!  ( well, those gringos living outside Escazu.  gosh, it is just crazy.  Escazu must be Spanish for more discretionary income than common sense.

Believe it or not, it is legal in Costa Rica to go through red lights from 10:00pm to 5:00am with the caveat "if it is safe to do so". It is in the Costa Rican "rules of the road" book - "Manual del Conductor"