Thinking about doing Brazil by car? Think twice!
Brazilians know how to drive well, the mechanics, but once behind the wheel, they show a high degree of imprudence, irresponsibility and just plain wacko behavior. Brazilians are by no means the worse and probably better than many drivers in the World, but still, when you drive here they will “never” let you relax. The nicest people you could ever meet turn into inconsiderate, aggressive, dangerous drivers when they hit the streets. Combine this with bad streets and roads, too many motorcycles and trucks and it all adds up to a potential very bad driving experience.
Don’t tell Brazilians that they drive crazy. They will look at you like….what is this guys problem? Doesn’t he know we have had two F1 World Champions?
So if you haven’t had F1 or NASCAR driving experience….take a taxi or bus. These also are risky but less than you driving here.
Oh, I almost forgot…..the motorcycles! We’ll leave that for another time.
British Embassy Safety Tips:
Drive carefully in Brazil. The style of driving and standards are very different from the UK. Brazil has a much higher road accident rate compared to the UK. Brazil has a high road accident rate; in 2005 there were 35,000 deaths on the roads - 19 people per 100,000 of the population died in Brazil compared to 5.5 people per 100,000 of the population in the UK.
You are allowed to drive in Brazil on a UK driving licence together with an authorised Portuguese translation. Carry these documents with you and a copy of your passport.
From US State Department:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Brazil is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travelers may consider obtaining an Inter-American Driving Permit, to carry along with their valid U.S. license if they plan to drive while in Brazil. Such permits can be obtained through AAA or other sources.Road conditions in Brazil vary widely throughout the country. State roads (especially in the south) are often excellent, while federal, interstate roads (designated by ‘BR’) are often very poor due to lack of maintenance. There are occasional stretches of modern divided highway (especially in Sao Paulo State) that rival European or U.S. roads. In municipal areas, however, signs, shoulders, exits, and merge lanes tend to be haphazard. There are many potholes and surfaces are frequently uneven and bumpy. Some stretches of federal roads and rural state roads are so potholed that high-clearance vehicles are needed to traverse them. Many cities and towns have erected speed bumps, which are sometimes severe and may be unpainted and unmarked. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and horse-drawn vehicles all pose hazards and can be encountered even on major routes. Travel after dark outside city centers is not recommended because of animals and disabled vehicles. Dirt roads are the rule in remote areas. These vary widely in quality and may quickly become more dangerous, even impassable, in rainy weather. Passenger car travel can be reasonably safe in most areas if one takes into account the prevailing conditions described above and exercises due prudence and caution. Passenger-bus hijacking, usually non-violent, occurs at random in some areas of the country.Brazil’s inter-city roads are widely recognized as among the most dangerous in the world. As is the case elsewhere in the region, poor driving skills, bad roads and a high density of trucks combine to make travel considerably more hazardous than in the United States. There are no laws requiring truckers to take mandatory rest stops and they often drive for excessive periods of time. All major inter-city routes are saturated with heavy truck traffic and for the most part have only two lanes. Road maintenance is inadequate and some long-distance roads through the Amazon forest are impassable much of the year. There are few railroads and passenger train travel is almost nonexistent. Private cars and public buses are the main modes of inter-city road travel. Buses can range (depending on the route and the price) from luxurious and well maintained to basic and mechanically unsound.The Brazilian Federal Government maintains a (Portuguese language) website with up-to-date information on road conditions throughout the country (http://www.dnit.gov.br); the site also has downloadable state roadmaps. A private Brazilian company, Quatro Rodas, publishes road maps that contain local phone numbers to ascertain the current conditions of roads on the map. They are available at www.guia4rodas.com.br. Apart from toll roads, which generally have their own services, roadside assistance is available only very sporadically and informally through local private mechanics. There is a group called the “Angels of the Pavement” that provides roadside assistance on the main highway between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The fastest way to summon assistance in an emergency anywhere in the country is to dial 193, a universal number staffed by local fire departments. This service is in Portuguese only. Many motorists in major urban areas and more developed parts of the country carry cellular phones, and can be asked to assist in calling for help.
Brazilian traffic laws
impose severe penalties for a number of traffic offenses. Enforcement ranges from sporadic to non-existent, so motorists should not assume that others will necessarily follow even the most fundamental and widely accepted rules of the road.
Some important local rules and customs include the following:
Seat Belts:
All states have seat belt laws, but enforcement varies from state to state.
Child Car Seats: Some states require child car seats, but they are not universally available or affordable, and enforcement is also lax. As a result, most children are not secured in car seats.
Speed Limits:
The maximum speed limit on major, divided highways is 120kmph (74 mph). Lower limits (usually 60kmph (40 mph)) are often posted in urban areas, depending on the road and the nature of the neighborhood. Speed limits are widely ignored and rarely enforced. Many towns and cities have marked electronic/photographic devices (”Fiscalisacao Electronica”), which verify speed and snap photos of violators’ cars and license plates as a basis for issuing speeding tickets. Brazilian drivers tend to brake suddenly when encountering these devices.
Yielding the Right of Way:
Drivers must yield the right of way to cars on their right. Compliance with stop signs is rarely enforced; so many motorists treat them as yield signs.
Driving Under the Influence:
Drivers are in violation of the law if blood/alcohol level reaches 0.06 percent.
Turns on Red Lights:
Not permitted, except for right turns where there is a sign with an arrow pointing right and the words “Livre a Direita.”
Penalties for Drivers Involved in an Accident Resulting in Injury or Death:
In addition to possible criminal charges and penalties, compensatory and punitive damages may also apply.
Local Driving Customs:
Drivers often use flashes or wave a hand out of the window to signal other drivers to slow down. Drivers will often break suddenly to slow down for the electronic speed traps mentioned above. In addition, pedestrian “zebra” crossings are strictly observed in some places (especially in Brasilia) and ignored most everywhere else.
For general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please refer to our Road Safety page .
For specific information concerning Brazilian driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please contact the Brazilian National Tourist Organization offices in New York via the Internet at http://www.embratur.gov.br/ .
For additional information from other sources in Brazil about road safety and specific information about accident statistics, Brazilian driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please see the following web sites: http://www.dprf.gov.br (Brazilian Federal Highway Police, in Portuguese only), and http://www.transportes.gov.br (Ministry of Transportation, in Portuguese only).
Updated: 3 July - Thursday
> Good article by Ricky Skelton over on Gringoes.com
Updated: 21 June Saturday
> Blog entry: MotoBoys in Brazil
Updated: 20 March Thursday
Today is the beginning of Semana Santa (Easter) . Getting out of the major urban centers will be a long and slow process as it will be on Sunday night coming back. I love holidays….the cities are quiet and the atmosphere at the Botoecos great.
Updated: 24 March Monday
I added a new link (at the bottom) of an article by a fellow and his family who drove around Brazil in a rented car for two weeks…and had no problems.
LINKS:
> Sport Car Driver (good description of driving in São Paulo)
> Driving and Car Rental in Brazil (good general tips)
