Are you going to Curaçao soon and have you rented a car? The traffic rules in Curaçao are very different than most people are used to. It is always a matter of figuring out how or what, and that is why we have made a list of useful rules to know! Especially for people from Western Europe, it will take some getting used to driving on Curaçao. In Curaçao they use the driving style that mainly consists of unwritten rules. Read on to find out what that means!
To catch up
On Curaçao we like to live in a quiet flow and you can also notice this on the road. Officially, you must overtake on the left, but on roads with separate lanes and two or more lanes in each direction, overtaking is allowed on the right. Many auto’s drive in the lane they feel like, so that alternate overtaking on the left or right is seen as normal.
Priority
In principle, those who go straight ahead have priority. At T-junctions, a driver on the road ending must give way to drivers on the through road. Drivers on a paved road have priority over drivers on a dirt road.
Roundabout
At normal roundabouts, drivers driving on the roundabout have right of way, just as it is regulated in most countries. However, if there is no right of way sign and shark teeth at a roundabout, the same rules apply as for a normal intersection and drivers from the right have right of way. This means that drivers entering the roundabout must give way to drivers entering the roundabout.
Mobile phone
You are not allowed to use your mobile phone while driving a car. However, it happens that other drivers do. Make sure you always keep enough distance so that you can spot dangerous situations in time.
Remarks
When it rains, roads become slippery on Curaçao. This has to do with the amount of oil on the road surface. If the road surface gets wet, the oil is extra slippery. Drivers are therefore advised to reduce their speed when it is raining or on a wet road surface and to keep a sufficient distance from their predecessor, because their braking distance is longer than normal.
Read all available here means of transport on Curaçao and how best to move yourself!
Fun Curaçao
