Driving in the Dominican Republic can be quite different from driving in the UK and Europe so it’s important to know some road rules before you start your trip. Sixt has provided this guide for our customers to read through and provide you with some useful driving tips.
Rules & Regulations
Please read through this guide before you start your journey in the Dominican Republic as you will need to know this information before you start driving there.
- Drive on the right hand side of the road.
- Seat belts are mandatory for all occupants of the vehicle.
- The allowable blood alcohol level is 0.10.
- The use of a mobile phone while driving is prohibited, unless you use a hands-free system.
- Right turns are allowed on a red light after you stop.
- The right of way is given to the vehicle that is on the bigger street.
- Trucks have priority before cars.
- If you want to make a left turn, it’s possible that other cars will still pass on the left hand side of your vehicle. Pay attention to the road before making your turn.
Please make sure that you are aware of all the road regulations before you start your trip in Dominican Republic.
Speed Limits
The Standard legal limits, which may be varied by signs, for private vehicles without trailers when driving in Dominican Republic are as follows:
- 120 kilometres per hour on highways
- 80 kilometres per hour on other roads
- Inside villages the limit reduces to 40 kilometres per hour.
Things to Bring Along
Here’s a breakdown of some things to take along when driving in Dominican Republic:
- Drivers are to carry a valid driver’s licence, registration documents and insurance documents at all times while driving.
- Carry your passport with you at all times when driving.
Additional Information
Watch out for pedestrians as they are known to cross the road everywhere even if they don’t have right of way.
If you are driving in rural areas use extra caution and care, particularly at night as some roads are full of potholes. Also some drivers don’t use their headlights so make sure that you drive defensively at night and keep a look out for any dangers ahead.
Petrol stations are few and far between in rural areas so make sure you fill up your car when you get the chance.
Tolls are charged on all of the main roads from Santo Domingo.
Parking in most areas tends to be free, although you may come across charges in larger towns.
Watch out for Horse carts. They move slow and are found in many of the streets. They have also been known to cross in front of cars with no regard for their surroundings.
The police, and sometimes the military, will carry out road checks and stop traffic. They are normally only checking to see whether you have the correct documents.
Sixt has branches in the cities of Punta Cana, Santiago and 4 in the capital city of Santo Domingo.
* Please note: All information was correct at the time of publication.
