06 August 2010
Posted in
BoholLife Blog -
Getting Around in Bohol
Driving in Bohol can be a real eye opener. I now appreciate the strict laws in the UK with respect to earning a drivers license. The driving standards here are on the whole pretty abysmal.
Road courtesy, lack of patience and poor lane discipline, are just some of the areas where you need to keep your wits about you.
It is quite normal to find drivers taking to either side of a slow moving line of traffic. They will use the dirt track at the side of the road or the oncoming lane to ensure they beat the queue.
On the main highways vehicles will overtake when and where they want, regardless of Your or Their Safety. It is common to find yourself taking avoiding action, as some ignorant / stupid driver (large SUV and bus drivers seem to be the worst offenders) decides that they will drive on your side of the road to overtake another vehicle.
I personally hate the screw you attitude so often encountered. In a land of friendly and welcoming people, behind the wheel of a car they often become ignorant, inconsiderate and sometimes downright deadly.
Correct Road positioning is almost unheard of. Nearly all drivers will cut the corner at road junctions. If you happen to be approaching a "T" Junction be prepared to be face to face with a car turning into your street, on your side of the road.
If things seem bad in the daylight just wait until the sun sets. Many of the tricycles busses and jeepneys have poor or non working lights, particularly rear lights and brake lights. Headlights on many vehicles are poorly adjusted and just blind you as you drive towards them.
You will often find that you only see a slow moving tricycle because of the shadow it casts in the headlights of oncoming vehicles.
Please don’t feel that driving here is something to avoid. You just have to learn the techniques of the locals and exercise a great deal of common sense and caution. It amazing that amongst all this chaos some sort of order does prevail. Yes there are plenty of accidents, just not as many as you would expect.
Be Careful Out There!
