Safety For Driving Overseas

Driving overseas and can an interesting and dangerous experience.

In fact, the U.S. State Department estimates that 1.17 million vehicle related deaths occur each year worldwide.

Of this number, 70 percent occur in developing countries.

Furthermore, an additional 10 million people are injured or crippled each year.

Many drivers in foreign countries receive little to no training before operating vehicles abroad. In many countries having a driver’s license is the exception to the rule.

Also, many drivers don’t have sufficient insurance coverage.

So, in the event that you are involved in an accident, there is a chance that you will not be compensated for your injuries and/or damages.

This assumes that the other driver even stops after the incident. Many times they simply flee the scene before law enforcement officials arrive.

In most developing countries road conditions are terrible. There can be large pot holes in the streets, poor lighting, and traffic signals that don’t function properly.

Even though there may be traffic control signals present and functioning, many local drivers seldom obey them.

For example, here in Ecuador few people come to a complete stop at stop signs and many disregard red lights.

If you will be driving overseas, you should obtain either an international driving permit (if you are visiting) or a local driver’s license (if you are an expat).

If you are a U.S. citizen visiting a foreign country you can click here to learn more about the process of obtaining an international driving permit.

If you are a citizen of any other country you should contact you Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more details. All expats seeking a local driver’s license in a foreign country should contact their local embassy or consulate, as the process varies for each country.

While driving abroad you should also be aware of scams that criminals will use to rob or extort money from you.

For example, a trick used in Nigeria is for locals to throw a dead baby in front of government vehicles or expensive cars and later try to blame the driver in an effort to extort money from him/her.

Another scam is where another vehicle will purposely ram into the back of your vehicle while stopped at a red light or stop sign. When you get out to check the damage, accomplices of the criminal steal your car.

<< From Driving Overseas back to Vehicle Security
<< From Driving Overseas back Home