Driving in Patagonia

Being passed by a large truck carrying a 40 ft container at 120 kms an hour on a double yellow line was a new experience, but generally the roads and driving habits are not too bad in Patagonia.

The hardest part is understanding the rules. In Ushuaia uphill traffic has priority over all other traffic. Down hill is next priority, however all the main street run horizontally, so there is lots of stopping and starting. Outside of the hills you give way to the right, except at roundabouts where you generally (but not always) giveway to the left. Red lights seem to be optional to obey at some intersections and religiously observed at others. So deciding when to yield and when to proceed is a moderately complex decision.

The main road to Rio Grande is sealed and a good two lane highway. I still don't know what the maximum legal speed is, but we were frequently passed at our sedate 110kms/hr. The roads off the highway are gravel and of varying quality. They would be great for rallying as we drove three 80km sections of sometimes brilliant, smooth, well gravelled road. Unfortunately every now and then there would be large potholes and frequent cattle stops that required substantial consideration if the springs and passengers were to survive. No wonder the older cars all seem to have stuffed suspension.

Driving stress is reduced by generally courteous behaviour. Occasionally someone would honk at my dithering and sometimes they would simply drive aroiund me, but mostly they just grinned at the hapless gringo.

Ross