114 CultureShock! Chile
bicycles and stray dogs. Vendors dash into the street trying
to sell their wares to motorists. Once Susan even drove past
a person in a wheelchair on a hill at night, with neither lights
nor a reflector! In spite of the fact that the government has
built a number of overpasses for pedestrians, most choose
to dash across major highways instead. Moreover, the Pan
American Highway runs through many small towns where
it serves as the main thoroughfare.
Driving habits also may make you see red. It is not uncom-
mon for a car to just stop on a busy street to pick someone
up or let someone out, causing traffic to backup. Drivers also
feel compelled to speed up and cut off other cars. They tend
to veer from their lane, tailgate or turn from the wrong lane.
A word of advice is to be prepared for anything.
By law, infants and toddlers need to be restrained in
car seats in Chile. This law is seldom obeyed or enforced.
You’ll see children climbing over seats or hanging out the
window while their parent drives. Parents still believe that
they’ll be able to hold on to a child held in their lap if there
is an accident, or they may not want to disturb a sleeping
baby by strapping it in. Susan met a woman who only used
the car seat for long trips to the beach, but didn’t want to
be bothered with it in the city. This was the one topic of
discussion among expat moms that brought out the most
disbelief, anger and fear.
It is relatively easy to rent a car in any major city. Offices
are located at airports, major hotels and downtown areas. A
passport and valid driver’s license from your own country
or an international driver’s license are required and most
major credit cards are accepted.
If you plan on buying a car you can head to one of the
dealers along Avenida las Condes or Avenida Bilbao. If you
don’t want to run all over town, you can go to a huge centre,
such as Movicenter on Americo Vespucio, where various
dealers share one large space. After you decide upon a car
you should negotiate the final price. You should expect to
pay about 10 per cent less than the sticker price.
Toll roads are becoming more common in Chile due to
private investment in infrastructure. A few, like Costanera