Driving in Brazil

You may return home following a visit to Brazil with the firm belief that the term "Defensive Driving" actually means that you must drive an army TANK!!! Driving here is a nightmarish experience to say the very least.

Brazilian drivers are among the most imprudent and aggressive drivers that you will encounter anywhere in the world. Rules of the road simply don't exist in the mind of the average Brazilian motorist. They will pass on the right side on the shoulder of the road, they pass over the double solid center line. Hell, I've even seen a few times where a car will pass on the left shoulder of the road, passing a vehicle that was already passing in the oncoming lanes. The extremely high murder rates in this country seem to have translated into an overall lack of value on human life, even one's own life; or so it would seem from the way Brazilians drive.

There are in excess of 45 THOUSAND traffic deaths in this country each year. The three most common factors involved in fatal accidents are imprudence, excessive speed and alcohol. Fully 80 percent of all fatal accidents on Brazilian highways are frontal collisions. That means that undoubtedly somebody was in the wrong lanes of traffic, either passing or lost control and invaded oncoming lanes of traffic.

Speed limits are largely ignored in Brazil, while there is extensive photo radar enforcement collection of the fines is virtually non-existent and we see constant reports in the news where the car of someone involved in an accident has thousands of Reais (Brazilian dollars) in outstanding, uncollected fines. Even the point system doesn't get them off the road. If their license is suspended they simply drive while under suspension until they get caught; which they rarely do.

There are virtually no programs to check the mechanical fitness of vehicles to be on the road. Many fatal accidents (especially where large trucks are involved) are the result of preventable mechanical failures. Bald tires and the resulting inability to stop in time to avoid collision is an all too frequent cause of highway fatalities. One of Brazil's most popular musical stars and his girlfriend were just recently killed in a traffic accident as the result of a high-speed loss of control of the vehicle they were riding in when a badly modified (and poorly welded) mag wheel failed, the tire shredded and the driver lost control at excessive speeds. The owner of a car wash had warned him just the previous day about the precarious condition of the wheel, the warning was ignored.

Obtaining a Driver's License in Brazil is an extremely costly and complex process. It involves taking a Driving School course, passing psychometric, medical and visual exams and both written and road tests with DETRAN. Since it is so difficult to obtain a license here, many people buy counterfeits or simply drive without one. This results in numerous fatalities each year. In a recent case reported in the news; following a fatal crash that he provoked one driver admitted that he had failed 4 times and had been driving for the past 37 years without a license.

Brazilians are extremely aggressive when behind the wheel, incidents of "road rage" often turn deadly in this country. Those involved are either armed or will use anything within their grasp as a weapon. Many die each year as a result of some banal incident in traffic which sends another motorist into a blind fury. Never make any kind of obscene hand gestures to another motorist here in Brazil, it can get you killed. If a motorist pulls alongside and appears to be cursing you out, nod your head and quickly clasp your hands together like a praying motion to indicate it was your fault (even if it wasn't) and that you're sorry; or just keep looking straight ahead as if you don't even see the person.

The rest, drivers who never signal (most don't), turn from the wrong lane of traffic, drive at night without headlights, etc., etc., etc...... will just drive you insane if you think too much about it.

Cheers,
James      Expat-blog Experts Team

James,

Reading your description of driving in Brazil is humorous and spot-on accurate. Oftentimes the aggravating thing is they are rushing to nowhere. You may observe some fool risking everyone's life by speeding, passing with abandon; only to see him at his all-so-important destination at a coco stand. He may do nothing but B.S. there for hours.
When I see this behavior with drivers, we refer to it as the, "Coco-Nut Syndrome".

Please don't forget the potholes in the "freeways" (estradas). If it's night, raining and you have to drive a bit of a distance (50 miles), the chances very good are that you will have a flat tire after hitting a larger pot hole disguised as just a puddle of water. you could also destroy your cars suspension by hitting an unmarked invisible 1foot tall speed bump, conveniently placed on a downhill curve.
Brazilian do have that habit of making right turns from the left lane (often the 3rd lane) - usually across traffic.
Then there are the motorcyclists - they have no rules.
Generally, since the traffic laws are not enforced (other than speeding, thanks to radar), why follow them.
I once asked the ex boss of BHtrans, the agency in Belo Horizonte that is supposed to enforce the traffic "code", why they don't enforce the law (other than radar infractions). He replied, because "Brazilian's don't want us to."
Traffic laws (most laws) in Brazil are just suggestions.

As usual -- well said, James.  I´m from the US -- the one developed country that is remarkably dangerous in many ways.  And it seems I´m six times more likely to die in a car crash here in Brazil than back home.  Which is astounding considering that people can only drive at half the speed here thanks to roads and traffic.  A very lax set of standards for car design help keep the numbers way up.  Also, taxis are the preferred method for getting to hospitals.  Driving is more emotionally expressive here, like interpretive dance or pick-up basketball.  However, I normally just put on my seat belt and enjoy the my taxi rides.  Occasionally my wife asks our drivers to slow down and drive the speed limit, and occasionally the taxi drivers respond by telling us to get the f-ck out and walk.  The only thing that really gives me pause is that carjacking has replaced mugging for a lot of young, ambitious Brazilian men.  A stoned, nervous child once held a loaded gun to my head in Philladelphia for a few dollars, but in six years here in Brazil I´ve never been mugged.  I credit a most of this to a combination of common sense and to not driving in a R$60,000 target.  I know of someone who´s had 9 cars hijacked in Porto Alegre.  Since insurance only covers 90% of cost in these cases, she´s lost an entire car´s worth of income, as well as the ability to sleep through the night.

I have to add that since stiff penalties have been in place for diving here in Porto Alegre, I know of a few people who have lost their licenses for long periods thanks just to speeding and running red lights.  This crack down hasn´t changed diving much yet, but it´s going in the right direction.  I tell Brazilians who are impressed with the orderly diving in other countries that we were more or less the same in the past, and it was mostly fines and jail time that changed our ways.  I think Brazil is moving in this direction.

the town im living in outside of fortaleza, doesnt have traffic lights, signs, or even a police station. with that being said, the traffic here is better then usa, you go fast as you want or slow as you want, i havent seen a single car accident for the three years i been here

DavidSAB wrote:

the town im living in outside of fortaleza, doesnt have traffic lights, signs, or even a police station. with that being said, the traffic here is better then usa, you go fast as you want or slow as you want, i havent seen a single car accident for the three years i been here

OMG, sounds almost like being in heaven. Very untypical of Brazil, count your blessings.

Cheers,
James     Expat-blog Experts Team

I like the driving in Boa Vista better than the bigger cities. It's still very frightening though. There are many streets missing stop signs and you're just supposed to know the streets that you're supposed to stop on. I usually end up stopping at almost every intersection because I don't trust other drivers.

I read your post.I have to say that America has never been like Brazil  since I have been alive .I am 53 and live in Texas.Texas is very safe and for the most part and so is most of America.I have traveled the 48 states and Alaska .I have traveled all over the world.The worst drivers were in probably Italy then Brazil.Most Brazilian drivers don't respect any laws or other drivers.In America a bad driver stands out.In Brazil a good driver stands out!Other than a few big city in America is their carjacking but it seems in many places in Brazil. This will be a big challenge for me.If I move to Brazil.As a Texan.We all love to drive and have to have a vehicle.But do I want to deal with the crazy Brazilian drivers! lmao Oh, America has some of the best highways in the world and Texas has some of the best in America.Brazil roads are another whole different story!!!!!!! 

MotoEspresso wrote:

James,

Reading your description of driving in Brazil is humorous and spot-on accurate. Oftentimes the aggravating thing is they are rushing to nowhere. You may observe some fool risking everyone's life by speeding, passing with abandon; only to see him at his all-so-important destination at a coco stand. He may do nothing but B.S. there for hours.
When I see this behavior with drivers, we refer to it as the, "Coco-Nut Syndrome".

You're oh so right... I had forgotten this, but the reason is easy to explain. To most of us expats travel is something we take for granted because of the great distances between cities. Back in Canada we wouldn't think twice about jumping into the car and driving 70 miles to go out to a nice restaurant, or to a city a hundred miles or more away to visit friends or family.

Here in Brazil many people have never ventured out of the city they were born in, or at least that state. Travelling across town  to the average Brazilian is a very BIG DEAL, it's scary and makes them extremely anxious. It's often that anxiety that brings out the aggressive and irresponsible driving for many because they're already in over their head.

Cheers,
James

Go 49ers wrote:

Please don't forget the potholes in the "freeways" (estradas).

Brazilians actually have a joke for that, and strangely they seem to accept this gross lack of road maintenance as normal.

Têm dois tipos de estradas... Aqueles com pedagio, e as esburacadas /  They have two types of highways... Those with tolls and those with potholes.

Cheers,
James

The solution it`s to go as fast as you can , so you won't feel a thing . It will be like flying above the potholes . This is what a friend advice me to do  .

I've been to Brazil with my Brazilian wife 7 times since 2001. We stay with family near Belo Horizonte and elsewhere in Minas Gerais.

Truthfully, I haven't taken note of real bad driving for the most part, but can share the following:

   -We were there for three weeks in late December, 2010 and early Jan., 2011.

It rained every day, and quite hard most of the time. Favelas, built on hills, were collapsing with many deaths of poor people.

During that trip we flew into Rio and took a bus to BH and then when we returned we took the bus from BH to Rio.

We also visited a small village where my wife was born about 100 miles from BH.

This part of Brazil is mountainous. The highways have a lot of steep inclines both up and down.

What was almost unbelievable was the number of buses and tractor-trailers (semis) that had left the road and were laying on their sides. The drivers maintained their speed in spite of the conditions. They would go 60 mph no matter where  on the highways - on flat surfaces and even on down-slopping hills  ON CURVES. It didn't matter. And all on wet roads.

When I think about it, it goes back to the problem with lack of professionalism in most Brazilian professions, from bankers, civil servants, teachers, drivers, etc.

James,
Spot on! Coming only from USA culture for comparison. I could only pray that States other than Alagoas do not share the level of danger we have. Using quebra-molas as a detour  for controlling speed thus bring more safety, has got to be a carry-over from the first Century. Especially in the age of electronics. Running down a highway momentarily forgetting where I am living , am lofted. No reduce speed from 80 km, no signage of upcoming ramp -am lofted with having the potential -loss of front end.
What I find most profound are the simple yet economical steps which could be taken to protect the Few interested in safety of life. We can speak of unsurmountable governmental corruption to be the obvious culprit. For example; what must it cost, if necessary using prisoners to  hand paint a florescent paint stripe on the middle of the road. Oka not enough R$ left for white side-stripes? Well how about passing a National law that requires all on bicycles, horse drawn carts and large equipment that cannot find the money to buy bulbs-required to have reflectors front and back. Yes, I'd like to see the horse coming at me on my side of the road- I am getting ready to hit!
It should become obvious in a flash of a Police car that National safety is in  no way connected nor considered when it comes to its citizens! Now 2 adults and 2 children on a motorcycle w/o helmets often passes but let me pass a blitz and  MP look in the back seat of my car, because I do not have illegal darkened windows and find a passenger not strapped in. well -It's a aaaalllllllll  for my Safety.
It's a hoot watching correios commercials. Why is the cost prohibited to ship personal items intra-country? There is no roads. To ad to the disparity a mail man will play H. finding the address so why have Inter-State Highways with engineered controlled grades and curve angles? Its is not as if they do not exist. I have driven highways in Brazil which do pass all criteria for safety, guard rails, etc. Lets face it, every buck wasted on safety is another $R a politician doesn't line his pocket. We don't even want to entertain the cost of personally shipping into the Country!
Why is it highway projects are started and due to inadequate funding somehow take 3 times R$ and if ever, the time to complete? Well we would not want free -enterprise for construction of highways  to get a foot-hold? That is where bids are made and $R is dispersed as sections completed -with NO BUDGET OVER-RUNS! How novel. That leaves NO FUN.
RON THOMAS

I`ve been a driver in Brazil now for 15 years and even though things are still bad i have noticed a great change over the years. Yes the potholes, the 1 ft speed bumps that appear overnight and being overtaken on the inside lane.
That said every county has people who speed, undertake you etc you will always have law breakers.

I have seen such great changes in 15 years. I live in Rio de Janeiro peoples attitude have changed i see people let each other out at junctions, stop at traffic lights, park in designated zones, use there head lights at night, indicate when turning etc etc etc. We can not expect the roads and cars to change overnight but lets be real now there have been some massive changes in these 15 years and it`s all down to one thing    ATTITUDE. The idea that is filtering in generation by generation is of the benifits of the law and i see more people following the law because it makes sence to them NOW. They are seeing the benifit of an orderly que to get through road works than a mad dash for an opening that always ended in a crash.

So to cut the story short, Brazil is getting there, just be patient ,just like any developing child they will understand the rules favour us all and we will be like other more mature countries following the laws because we understand them and they make sence.

It is like if roads were made of sugars and when raining, holes appear everywhere. It fixed quite quickly but without any care, just waiting for next big rainha.
Actually the worst are manhole covers. I didn't see one fited properly, so these make big holes and sometimes big bumps. You cannot avaid all manhole covers, but with time, you learn which one you must absolutelly avoid. Overall very dangerous; but I am happy to not be a motocyclist, for them it should be deadly.

More dangerous still are the manhole covers that get stolen to sell as scrap metal. Sometimes somebody will stick a tree branch, piece of wood, or something else in them to warn motorists of the danger, but many times not. They can be deadly or at the very least do serious damage to your car and ruin your tires if you hit one even at low speeds. Like everything else in Brazil you can wait months or even years for anything to get done about it. This happens all over Brazil and makes me wonder why they don't make the damned things out of heavy duty plastic that has absolutely no re-sale value so won't get stolen.

I remember when I lived in Porto Seguro - BA, I had a school in a small strip mall in the center of the city. The sewer grate right in front was stolen and it was left open for 2 years with nothing ever being done about it despite numerous complaints. No less than 3 cars a day would end up with a wheel in the sewer, many cars were damaged. I'm sure that Porto Seguro City Hall paid out lots of money to owners of cars damaged, yet nothing was ever done to replace it while I lived in the city.

Cheers,
James        Expat-blog Experts Team

Driving in Brazil is a kind of drive the Startrek through a cluster of meteorites in the space.
Thrilling ans amazing as a day on Disney's tobogans and roller coasters.
The more you hit down  the rules, better player you are.
If not acquainted to defy the death, I strongly recommend not trying that.
And look, you don't need a car to feel terror, but only walk on or cross streets.
That God guides you,
Carlos Vaz

rc206 wrote:

Most Brazilian drivers don't respect any laws or other drivers.In America a bad driver stands out.In Brazil a good driver stands out!

Couldn't agree more! When I first moved here, I put an end to my husband's "tailgating" real quick!  If the car in front of ours was moving too slow for his tastes, he'd tail their bumper in the most obnoxious and dangerous manner! 

Brazilian drivers are just awful...in addition to the complaints above, let me add the following:  no respect for pedestrians (NEVER assume the driver will slow down/stop for you because he probably doesn't even see you and even if he did, he won't stop!), motorcyclists who think they own the streets, and street planning that makes no sense whatsoever! The city I live in is HEAVEN for drivers who like one-way streets and roundabouts!  Then again, I never know when a one-way street will become a two-way street...only to become a one-way street again all within a span of about a mile! I drive down such a street every morning! God forbid that I forget to make a turn somewhere...because I'll end up driving for miles and miles down a one-way street before I can even make a left-turn and find my way back. I've heard that my city is particularly bad, but I have a feeling that other Brazilian cities aren't all that different.

Also, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the drunk driving in this country. I went to one of my husband's Happy Hours and after 5-6 hours of continuous drinking - the ones to leave the bar at the end of the night were the ones that had drunk the most - everyone hopped behind the wheel and drove home.    No taxis...no designated drivers...EVERYONE, regardless of whether they had drunk 1 beer or 20 beers, drove themselves home. I couldn't believe it. When I asked my husband about it, he made it sound as if it were no big deal and made jokes about how "Brazilians drive better when their drunk" and commented that "Brazilian beer is so light that no one really gets drunk on it." 

Finally, in a country where most employees work at a snail's pace regardless of how many customers are waiting/standing in line, where the hell are they off to in such a mad hurry??? 

They are Ayrton Senna`s descendents and most of them will end up just like he did . Just like it`s said here in Brazil     " Deus nao da asa a cobra ."  or   "If the adder could hear, and the blind worm could see, neither man nor beast would ever go free".

Firstly, I'd like to point out a few things. 1-the vast majority of drivers are on motorcycles (younger, reckless), 2-cars are overwhelmingly manual transmissions which seems to make the drivers MORE anxious (distracted) 3-The price of gas is HUGE. Think whatever you pay per gallon, they pay per quart, so no one wants to yield. These concerns mixed with a social convention that TIME is just a suggestion, meaning if a meeting is scheduled for 3 PM, they will leave home at three and try to drive fast enough to turn back time. This adds up to some VERY ANGRY DRIVING. I cope by limiting my driving to the city I live in and using the bus and taxi (not moto-boy) system everywhere else.

As I believe a video is worth a thousand words, here you go: https://youtu.be/GnR2ysyaoH4

I do not think that manual transmissions is creating over anxious drivers. See numbers in Europe where big majorities of cars are manual and numero of deaths from road accident are 20x smaller than here. I am not a specialist in theory of driving/attention but some could say that having to concentrate a bit with changing gears, keep attention higher than just accelerate/brake which is rather monotonous. Discussion would continue...
Seriously, main reasons are the usual ones: bad driving training, cars not maintened, bad roads with dangerous intersections (for exemple in France it does not exist any more intersection on a lot of secondary roads, only rondabouts), impunity for richs and powerfull, supposedly right to forget traffic lights/stop after night/10pm in order to avoid assault, and ultimatelly there is Brazilian way to drive like Senna (and dying like him).

I did not write that manual transmissions are the only reasons, they do however contribute. If- as you wrote- there is some affinity to race car driving- then, that along with other factors would help explain the state of mind of some of these drivers. I have let curious family members drive my automatic after hour long "discussions"  about the merits of controlling every aspect of the car. Without exception my guest driver would state how RELAXING my car was to drive. They liked how they could stop and wait for better conditions (yielding)- the best responses came from the more mature and responsible folks. Again do not fixate on just one factor, few things in life are caused by one small detail. Happy Driving!

Brasilians are the rudest, most dare taking and selfish drivers I have ever met in my life
.  This I mainly blame on the government.  I am a retired detective from NYC and never saw such a bad bunch of drivers.  I see people going through traffic lights without stopping right in front of the police and they do nothing about it.  EPTC, they don't have a clue either.  This is the reason why people do what they want because the government does nothing about it.

sbennett1959 wrote:

Brasilians are the rudest, most dare taking and selfish drivers I have ever met in my life
.  This I mainly blame on the government.  I am a retired detective from NYC and never saw such a bad bunch of drivers.  I see people going through traffic lights without stopping right in front of the police and they do nothing about it.  EPTC, they don't have a clue either.  This is the reason why people do what they want because the government does nothing about it.

Despite the fact that when I've stated just that, many member have told me they're worse in China or India, etc. I sure as heck wouldn't argue with you on that point.... I sure haven't seen worse in my lifetime. Worse still is that the drivers in some states here are worse than others, believe it or not!

I don't care what anybody says, I'm as happy as a pig in mud that I don't drive anymore. Haven't missed it one little bit in the last 8 years.

Cheers,
James     Expat-blog Experts Team

Your right in every way. I`m from UK and it`s a form of respect for each other that we abide to the law .We`ve seen the benifits of why the law is as it is and so we abide by it. Brazil reminds me of the Uk in the 70s, unrully drivers who thought that getting in front of someone ment you were smarter or a go getter.

Today that person would be concidered a total idiot. Why because we now understand the risks. The chance of NOT getting home because of your actions made us drive safer and with more concideration for other road users. It will take time but Brazil will get there. It will take lots of road deaths and maybe a campain or two.

                                                     OR

The GOV wil see a way to make more money from the fines and scare the public in to compling.

Either way it will come but maybe not in our life time.

Hi redpanther,

I really don't think that higher fines are going to have much effect here in Brazil. People here do one of two things: they simply don't pay them (any of them); or they complain like Hell about them. Nobody here ever thinks of how much easier it would be to AVOID them, by simply following the rules of the road. The fine for driving when you've had any amount of alcohol to drink is astronomical, when the Lei Seca laws were enacted they had the effect of reducing the number of drinking drivers... not a few years later it's business as usual for all the drunks out there.

The problem they have with fines here in Brazil is that just like they don't really enforce the laws, they don't enforce the fines either. Yes they have a point system and in theory that leads to drivers having their licenses suspended one would think, yet that rarely if ever happens. When it does they drive anyway.

We see cases every day in the news where a car has been involved in an accident or has finally been impounded that has racked up many thousands of Reais in unpaid fines. Owners often never reclaim the car because the fines exceed the car's value. I don't know why, but it doesn't appear to me that they ever get auctioned off like in other countries. Not judging from the rusting hulks you see in police compounds all over the country.

I really have no idea what the solution is for Brazilian drivers. It's certainly not higher fines... they just don't get it. It's not better education or raising their awareness either, that's been tried time-and-time-again; it just doesn't work.

To be quite honest I don't even think a much higher death toll would even make a difference, because in Brazil (for those who haven't already noticed) LIFE ISN'T WORTH SQUAT to most Brazilians, not even their own and certainly not yours.

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team

After staying in brazil for about 5 months .I didn't have a problem.there are certain ways to do this one is if your on the road after9or930.you make the stop because all lights become a yield even the police allow this because of robberies car jacking.but for me it was crazy but that is the way.i was in gonnia with about 2million.i lived thank God but no differ than driving in Los ageless or differ parts of cheiogo. 

Hi all,
I think my question is out of context but wana know, with international driving LIC, could allow to drive in Brazil?
Thanks

Yes, an IDP is recognized in Brazil when combined with your valid Driver's License from home. However it can ONLY be used for 180 days from your arrival in Brazil. After 180 days (the max. stay for a tourist) you must have a Brazilian Carteira Nacional de Habilitação - CNH.

The IDP is intended for tourists, not for permanent residents. For tourists you need to present your passport when police ask for identification and they will count from the most recent entry stamp in your passport. When police ask for identification of a permanent resident you need to show your Cédula de Identidade Estrangeiro, and they count from the date of entry shown on the ID card. So for expats who are here permanently it's much better to go to DETRAN and find out what is required in your state to EXCHANGE your foreign DL for a Brazilian CNH.

Cheers,
James       Expat-blog Experts Team

What a shame. Paradise is lost. The greedy and selfish state of mind of the Brazilian really spoils it all.

according to this article if it is correct you no longer need an international drivers license.

http://gobrazil.about.com/od/practicalt … velers.htm

Dear James & Friends,

Wish You Green Day! Hope you are fine.

Good to read the facts & state of driving in Brazil.

Good that i did not apply for driving licence.

I am surprised that though rules are stringent like the point system & cameras monitoring at many roads, violators don't care about these things. Accidents are happening due to some careless motorists, so it better drive defensively.

In India also rules are there but people do not follow them but it is high task for traffic police to track all the violators. But India does not have stringent rules like in Brazil. I strongly prefer such rules but some politicians or their relatives violate more.

I think it's true , I even rented a car last year , they just wanted to see my regular license
It seems like the International drivers license is falling by the way side , I used to always hear about them a few years ago , but no one seems to bother with it anymore......maybe in Europe?

Driving in Brazil is a whole different ballgame than in a civilized country.  The only real traffic enforcement is speed cameras and red light cameras.  Otherwise if a transit cop sees you committing an offense they simply record it and you receive a ticket in the mail.  There is no appealing it, or arguing your case, you simply pay the fine.

Tickets do not go against your driving record.  They are recorded against the automobile, and the auto cannot be sold or transferred while there are any fines levied against it.