Road Rules and Traffic Regulations in Chile - Driving Nuances

1. The roads of Chile are known as the most quality and comfortable roads for travelers in whole Latin America. Large cities of the country have a very convenient street layout, and long-distance roads are equipped with different road signs, so it is simply impossible to get lost there.

2. Traffic on the roads of Chile is quite fast. Foreign drivers are recommended to follow local traffic regulations no matter what and pay close attention to road signs.

3. Foreign drivers should not forget to obtain the international driver's permit. Without it, the driving license obtained in the home country will be simply not valid.

4. You should be particularly cautious when you drive on the roads with public transport. All buses in Chile are painted in very bright colors, so it is almost impossible to fail to notice them in the traffic. Experienced drivers advise to stay away from the public transport - bus drivers are often very aggressive on the road, they make sharp movements and feel no restrictions.

5. Locals call these big bright buses «Micros». In Santiago and other large cities, many roads have a separate bus lane (sometimes two lanes), but drivers of the colorful buses never limit themselves to specially designated lanes only. They can move unexpectedly to the extreme left lane and never accompany such a maneuver with any light signal.

6. In Chile, there are many standard rules that are valid in many countries of the world. For example, it is prohibited to talk on the phone, listen to the player and smoke while driving. The driver and all the passengers inside the car must fasten seat belts. Violation of any of these rules can lead to quite serious consequences, including the driving license suspension.

7. Chilean drivers can be characterized as rather emotional and short tempered, but, in general, they are distinguished by a very friendly and welcoming attitude. Quite often you can see how local drivers give each other certain signals with their hands – this way they help each other to maneuver in the flow of cars.

8. When you plan to use your car, make sure you have all the car documents with you. The driving license and car documents are important even if you plan a ride to the nearest shop. Police patrols on duty are not rare on the roads of Chile. The police can stop virtually every vehicle for the document check. The absence of any of the required documents is a serious reason for the imposition of a heavy fine.