Cars and Driving

The many car rental agencies make renting a car in Argentina convenient as well as expensive. Travelers who choose to drive should be aware that the rules of the road are not always what might be expected. One of the primary rules is to never obstruct traffic. This means, for example, that if one is waiting to make a left hand turn, one would pull over to the right and let all other cars behind pass in order not to hold anyone up. When passing, one always passes on the left.

Unless absolutely necessary, drivers in Argentina do not stop at stop signs -- they merely slow down. Stop signs, in fact, are regarded as caution signs. Pedestrians need to understand that the only safe places to cross are at walk lights. Speed limits are rarely observed or enforced, although, depending on the condition of the highways, cars are not always able to travel fast. Both roads and highways are reasonably well-marked.

In the cities, traffic tends to be snarled. The streets were originally constructed with only single car lanes in mind; however, with the increase in traffic, drivers now try to pass one another on these narrow, constricted streets. Extreme crowding is the result.