Traffic Laws

[jeff1234]

I would appreciate it if someone could explain some of the traffic rules of the road to me.
Are drivers not required to slow down for intersections? for pedestrians?

 

[PhilipDT]

The only rule is.....there are no rules

 

[fifs2]

I would appreciate it if someone could explain some of the traffic rules of the road to me.
Are drivers not required to slow down for intersections? for pedestrians?

Oh Jeff, Jeff Jeff you need to leave those logical western/Northern hemisphere rules behind you. Its the jungle here. I have no idea why cars have rear view mirrors as only the car in front matters and that DOESNT include pedestrians. My own best friend nearly mowed me down on a zebra crossing near the house so its nothing personal - just realise you dont exist to most drivers and you'll be safe. NOw legally speaking I guess you might have a case if they kill you on a pedestrian crossing with a green light but otherwise not so sure..locals will better advise us all.

 

[cbonanni]

The only rule I know , but rarely applies , is that cars coming from the right , have right of way.At unmarked intersections. That are not main streets. On Tuesdays. As for pedestrians , forget about it..........

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

The laws on the books are much different than the laws that are enforced. Here is my interpretation:

1. Brakes on vehicles here don't work. Only the horn does.
2. Which ever vehicle is bigger gets the right-of-way.
3. Pedestrian rights? See #2.
4. If you can stop a bus with your hand help up, then you get to cross first. (let me know when and where you are going to try this. I've been dying for one of those YouTube videos that gets 3 million hits overnight).

 

[ElQueso]

Rules of the Road in Buenos Aires:

1. Murphy's Law applies with a reinforcing strength of an approximate 500% increase in probability from the moment you enter your car until the moment you exit it. If it can happen, it MUST, and even if it can't possibly happen, it will find a way.
2. Any motor-driven vehicle is the owner of the road.
3. Ownership of the road is hierarchical, depending on the size of the vehicle and insanity of the driver. Taxis will always crawl on the right side of the road seeking fares, blocking a good lane and a half of traffic in the process. Colectivos will stop to pick up and drop off passengers in the same area that taxis use, causing a double-block of traffic on the right side of the road, or, on wider roads (such as Santa Fe and Cabildo during rush hour) will end up blocking all lanes as multiple colectivos attempt the same stunt, but each farther and farther from the curb. If the road is only wide enough for two autos to pass, taxis and colectivos feel it is in their right of ownership of the road to block the road with impudence.
4. Male drivers mostly apply insane tactics. Female drivers are very cautious and crawl along blocking traffic. There are crossovers between the sexes as far as this goes, as well - as in the other rules, nothing is certain except that everything is uncertain and bound to happen no matter appearances (see rule 1).
5. Motorcycles are wildcards. Motorcycles WILL squeeze between any space they can find, with as much speed as they can muster and a complete disregard as to what is around them. All drivers must watch out for motorcycles, not the other way around. At all.
6. There is NO cooperation amongst drivers of any type of motorized vehicle. However, an exception is made sometimes between those of the same union-backed vehicle type. For example, taxis give way to other taxis, colectivos give way to other colectivos - probably only when the yielding driver is in a good mood or too tired to care.
7. A driver will do anything to ensure that he is FIRST. This may mean accelerating rapidly into an intersection where there are pedestrians legally crossing.
8. A driver will increase speed when he sees a pedestrian crossing the road at an intersection ahead (whether there is a stoplight or not) and the driver has the green light (in the case of a stoplight), even if there is plenty of room for the pedestrian to cross before the driver would have arrived well after the pedestrian crossed at his initial speed had the driver not sped up. Drivers MUST terrify all pedestrians to ensure that they follow the rules of the road (see rule 3).
9. Drivers are not required, nor are expected, to think ahead. If one is in the right lane of two (or more) lanes of traffic and the driver needs to turn left, he will wait until he is at the intersection, put on his left turn signal (sometimes) and cut in front of all other drivers trying to go straight. If no one yields, he will plant his car in place, lay on the horn and gesticulate and shout until someone lets him pass.
10. When exiting a garage or other structure into high traffic, you must force your way into traffic. No one will let you in unless they are asleep at the wheel momentarily and didn't move forward fast enough to cut you off from entering traffic.
11. A car in front of other cars has zero responsibility to be aware of what is going on behind him. This includes lane changes, allowing others right of way to pass on one side or the other, etc. The car or cars behind have all of the responsibility of reading the mind of the driver of the car in front.
12. The moment a light turns green and you are in front, you must be ready to move forward immediately. However, even if you move immediately, you will still get an annoying reminder that the light has turned green from someone behind you honking their horn before you can even move foot from brake to gas pedal.
13. If you are behind someone at a light, do not expect that person to move until good and ready. As with most rules, the reverse also applies at all times as well.
14. All taxis and colectivos know the light system - often they are moving through the red light before the yellow "get ready to go" light has even shown. Cars crossing an intersection that turns yellow upon entrance to the intersection should be wary of drivers at supposedly stopped lights crossing their path.
15. Lanes do not exist, even if you see the lane markers.

While not official rules, these are the main rules I've discovered by empirical evidence, while driving in Buenos Aires for the last nearly 5 years.

 

[nicoenarg]

As a pedestrian I never expect the drivers to follow the rules. I follow the rules (I only cross when the light's green for the pedestrian, etc) but I also make sure multiple times before I start walking that no one is about to murder me.

GS_Dirtboy and ElQueso have put down "rules" which sound kind of like Saudi Arabia and Dubai (only its 10 times worse in those countries than in Argentina) and so that might be the reason I am used to this insane way of driving. This drives my wife, who is Argentine, up the wall because she lived in the US and learned to drive there. She just can't fathom how someone can be so idiotic, irresponsible and selfish on the road (both here and the middle east).

 

[Iznogud]

The heavier and busted the vehicle, the higher the priority at an intersection. Stay clear of trucks and "chatas".

Insurance? We don't need no stinkin' insurance!!!

 

[walkingtwig]

Rules of the Road in Buenos Aires:

Lanes do not exist, even if you see the lane markers.While not official rules,

Sorry but I beg to differ; you must actualy assess all the lanes and then drive your car as fast as you can into whichever lane has the least amount of traffic. Even if this requires a “weaving” technique and lots of tailgating.

 

[ElQueso]

Sorry but I beg to differ; you must actualy assess all the lanes and then drive your car as fast as you can into whichever lane has the least amount of traffic. Even if this requires a “weaving” technique and lots of tailgating.

Yes, but all cars completely ignore the actual lane markers set in the road - lanes of cars are fluid and ever-changing.