Barbados 101: Tips To Know Before Driving in Barbados

Whether you are visiting the island on vacation or on a business trip, it is very common for visitors to rent a car during their stay. While this is a convenient method of transportation for the duration of your stay, the roads in Barbados can be dangerous if you are unaware and unfamiliar with the norms, as with any where you may travel to. Here are our top tips to know before driving in Barbados.

1.       Get a visitors permit: By producing a valid license, National or International, you can obtain a visitors permit allowing you to legally drive during your stay in Barbados. There is a fee of $25.00 USD ($50.00 BDS) for a two-month permit and $50.00 USD ($100.00 BDS) fee for a 1-year permit. The visitors permit can be obtained at any of the three local Licensing Authorities (The Pine in St. Michael, Oistins in Christ Church and Speightstown in St. James) or at any authorized rental car agency. The requirements for obtaining a visitors permit are an age restriction of 21 + with 2-5 years of driving experience, and drivers over 70 years must produce a medical certificate.

2.       Right side of the car, left side of the road: Although the majority of our cars are imported from a variety of places all over the world, the vast majority of our cars are right-hand drive and we drive of the left side of the road. There are a few left hand drive cars which is indicated on their license plates.

3.       Roundabouts: There are approximately 13 roundabouts on the ABC Highway or more. Although roundabouts seem confusing at first, it is imperative that drivers understand how they work as they appear frequently on our roads. Roundabout have two lanes; outside and inside. The outside lane (the left most lane) is generally used by those vehicles who wish to take the first left exit. The inside lane is used by vehicles who wish to take the second and third exits at the roundabout, however there are some vehicles who “jam-bust”. This is a Bajan term given when a vehicle takes the outside lane to continue straight at the roundabout. We recommend that you exercise caution and use your indicators when entering a roundabout. If you are unsure of which lane is correct for the direction you would like to travel, there are road markings of arrows approaching the roundabout indicating which lane is correct.

4.       Signs and Signals: There are an abundance of road signs as you will notice while driving the roads in Barbados. Two of the most important signs are “STOP” which informs drivers that they must stop at the upcoming junction, and the “give way” sign. The give way sign informs drivers that they must slow down on approaching, and pay attention for other cars that have the right-of-way.  Some important signals to be knowledgeable about before driving would be honking the horn; many Bajans utilize their horns as a “hello” when passing a friend on the road as well as a “thank you” when someone has given way to them. Another popular signal is the flashing of the lights; again, when passing a friend, or as an indication that they are giving way to you.

5.Pedestrians and Mini Vans: The streets of Barbados are highly populated with pedestrians, tourists and local alike. Drivers should pay extra caution to children and also adults crossing the roads. Although there are clearly marked pedestrian crossings, there are times when pedestrians dart across the road, keep an eye out! Another important aspect of driving in Barbados that drivers need to pay attention to would be mini vans. Mini vans, namely ZRs are a local transportation services (i.e. a smaller version of the buses you would see on the roads.) The mini vans are commonly known for their loud music and constant stopping. We urge other drivers on the road to exercise caution as reckless driving such as over taking the mini vans can lead to accidents.

Some other quick tips about driving in Barbados that we have for you are:

·         Seatbelts are to be worn by all passengers in the car as required by the law

·         The speed limits in Barbados are enforced (60 Km/h in city and rural areas, 80 km/h on major highways)

·         Although there is no Blood Alcohol Consumption Limit enforced in Barbados, we strongly encourage that if you are planning on drinking, do not drive!