traveldk.com

If you’re planning to rent a car, remember that driving can be challenging as well as exciting. In theory, Dominicans drive on the right, but overtaking vehicles often occupy the middle of the road, even on blind corners.

Animals, especially goats, present a threat in some of the Dominican Republic’s more remote rural areas, as they tend to wander unchecked on to the road. This is a particular problem after nightfall when visibility is already limited. Dogs are also frequent victims of collisions.

Driving after dusk is generally a risky business, as potholes, animals, and other obstacles are less clearly visible. Main thoroughfares are generally safer than isolated country roads, but bear in mind that some drivers have vehicles without working headlights and that others don’t dip their headlights, causing dazzling among oncoming drivers. It’s generally safer, except in well-lit urban streets, to stop driving before nightfall.

Most towns and villages have an array of speed bumps on their outskirts, sometimes accompanied by a police or military checkpoint. These are meant to enforce the country’s speed limits of 48 miles per hr (80 km/hr) on main roads and 25 miles per hr (40 km/hr) in towns.

Particularly common in the regions closest to the Haitian border, these generally involve little more than slowing down and a nod or wave from a bored soldier. Occasionally, military personnel decide on a cursory inspection of a vehicle, but don’t be alarmed.

The Dominican police used to enjoy a certain notoriety for demanding bribes from motorists, often on the spurious pretext that a speed limit had been broken. This is much less common now, after a campaign by the authorities, but isolated cases do still occur. You can either hand the policeman a small note (RD$20 or RD$50) or simply insist that you do not speak Spanish until he gives up.

The big autopistas out of Santo Domingo (towards Las Américas airport, Santiago, San Cristóbal, and Haina) have automatic toll booths on exits from the capital. You will require the exact small change to pass through (currently RD$30 per vehicle), payable on departure only.

Gas is relatively expensive, due to rising world prices and a weak Dominican peso. Petrol stations (known as bombas ) are plentiful in the main towns but sometimes extremely rare in remote country areas. It is worth filling up whenever possible. You should also remember that many bombas close at about 8pm.

Punctures are a constant problem on the country’s poorly maintained road network and when driving on rough tracks. It can be extremely expensive to buy new tires, and a much cheaper option is to use the services of one of the legions of tire repair men (gomeros ), whose workshops are to be found in every town.

Most Dominican towns are built on a classic grid system, with alternating up and down streets and traffic lights at intersections. With the chronic problem of power supply, however, traffic lights often don’t work, so it is advisable to approach each junction on the assumption that any other car will fail to give way.