South AmericaWorldwide

1. South America

South America stretches from the Caribbean coast to Cape Horn, with road environments ranging from Andean mountain passes and the Amazon Basin to the Atacama Desert, Pampas and windswept Patagonia. There is no single South American traffic code: every country establishes its own speed limits, alcohol rules, licensing requirements and vehicle standards. Most of the continent drives on the right, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay, while Guyana and Suriname drive on the left. Road conditions can change dramatically over relatively short distances, particularly where routes cross mountains or tropical regions affected by heavy rain and landslides.

Most South American countries use kilometres per hour, although Guyana remains a notable exception because its road-traffic legislation expresses statutory speed limits in miles per hour. Road charging varies from conventional toll plazas to electronic systems such as TelePASE in Argentina, TAG in Chile, Colpass in Colombia and increasingly Free Flow tolling in Brazil. Spanish is the dominant language on road signs across much of the continent, while Portuguese is used in Brazil, English in Guyana and Dutch in Suriname. Cross-border driving is common in the MERCOSUR region, where agreements facilitate recognition of driving licences, tourist vehicles and compulsory international motor insurance.