Driving Rules in Grenada

It is more than just driving on the left that makes Grenada different than back home. These are the rules of the road as I have come to understand them.

1. Dogs have the right of way- get used to it. Grenadian drivers will slow and stop for stray dogs in the road. They will beep, yell and cajole the dogs, but they will not hit them. The dogs could care less about the traffic; many lying by the road not even bothering to pretend they might move. If you drive quickly thinking the dog will move-- you will probably be wrong.

Goats and sheep also have the right of way but are way smarter than the dogs and almost always get out of your way.

Pedestrians never have the right of way. The courtesy extended to dogs does not extend to humans.

2. Drinking and Driving is accepted. It is not uncommon to see people stop in for a drink or two mid-day and then head off in their vehicle. In the evening things get more dicey as one or two turn into 3, 4, and so on. At any given time (like in Canada) you will be on the roads with impaired drivers. Be very alert to this danger.

Also driving and texting or talking on a phone is common- but I believe the police have the discretion to charge individuals who are driving in a dangerous fashion. Many Grenadians would like to see both changed to be prohibited but at present both seem to be permitted (at least tacitly).

3. Beeping is communication. It is very wise to beep (short blast) when going around blind corners. Drivers here like to drive in the middle of the road, even if it is a blind corner. So beeping gives everyone a heads up that they need to get back in their lane.

Grenadian drivers will beep a couple short blasts when they see someone they know (which happens a lot). Bus drivers constantly beep to see if a pedestrian wants a ride.

People in Grenada tolerate a lot of driving behaviours that would cause road rage in Canada. Generally beeping is never done in an aggressive manner.

4. Buses don't just go forward! It is extremely likely that the bus in front of you will back up in an attempt to pick up a passenger. Do not expect the passenger to run to catch the bus, they will be waiting for it to back up for them. When my bus is backing up I amuse myself with thinking what would happen if  a TTC or OC Transport bus tried backing up on say Spadina or Bank Street!

5. Be prepared to stop. Even in the most dangerous of places. People like to buy things from vendors or chat with friends at the side of the road.

We are guilty too, Brent loved the drive-thru jenup place where you could pull off, hand over five dollars and get your fruit to go!

6. Learn how to play car Jenga. The roads, in my humble opinion, are barely wide enough for one car, so when people park outside their homes or businesses, you truly are down to one lane. Moving forward will mean moving in and out between parked cars as drivers try to move ahead in the spaces provided. In theory if the car is parked on your side of travel, you should give way. In reality it is the most aggressive driver who gets through. Again people will back up to get unstuck, be prepared.

7. Learn how to use your mirrors. A good vehicle here has mirrors that automatically tuck in at the press of a button. You need this because often the amount of space you have can be measured in inches. My joke is if a chicken can fit between the two cars a Grenadian will tell you there is LOTS of room.

There is absolutely no need for the passenger mirror, these are only useful on multilane highways when you are passing vehicles, which is not going to happen here. Tuck the mirror in.

8. Hand signals rule. My drivers ed teacher would have a heart attack here. Both hands on the wheel was his motto. I have seen enough drivers lessons (they mark the car with a big L for learner) to know that they actually teach hand signals when learning to drive.

So if a driver motions you in a move that looks like they are flapping  invisible wings means either- slow down or something is coming in the other direction so you better not try to pass.

A motion that looks like they are motioning you to come here means you can pass. 

Interestingly, I have never seen anyone use obscene hand gestures while driving.

9. The kindness of strangers. Random people waiting for buses will giving you similar hand signals to try to disentangle traffic or prevent accidents. Use them, they really are trying to help you.

10. Speed bumps are always better on the other side. For some bizarre reason drivers seem to believe that the speed bump on the other side of the road will be smoother than the one on their side. It is extremely common to be met coming toward a speed bump by a vehicle in your lane-- for no apparent reason.

11. Passing on a speed bump. Speed bumps present an excellent opportunity to pass vehicles. You will definitely encounter buses passing each other on speed bumps- you will be expected to make way for them. I have seen vehicles four abreast in all kinds of wrong sided, right sided, passing, going around speed bumps.

Pay very close attention at speed bumps you can never really know who is going where.

12. Round-abouts. Not very popular in North America, extremely popular in Grenada. People really do respect the rules of the road when it comes to round-abouts, the person in the round about has the right of way.

Where it becomes tricky is pedestrians trying to cross. Just be aware that while you might have the right of way, the pedestrians need to cross too.

Note three tires in the middle of an intersection does constitute a round-about and needs to be respected.

13. Stop if you have to. If traffic seems too close or you are unsure about what is happening, stop. The other vehicle(s) will go around you. They probably know he road better than you and if they are confident that there is room, let them prove it. You do not need to keep moving forward if you think it is unsafe. Sometimes you will feel pressure from a bus... these are the same buses that will stop for five minutes to wait for their favourite customer who is running late (usually an attractive young lady)... Let them stew, they'll live and more importantly so will you!