In Trinidad driving is on the left. There are no left turns on a red light and u-turns are illegal.
Trinidad has one of the biggest carnival celebrations in the world and you should avoid driving at this time. It takes place two days before Ash Wednesday and the whole island goes crazy.
During the rest of the year it is a good rule at the avoid rush hour anyway with the area around Queen's Park Savannah getting particularly congested. One of the biggest hazards on the roads is taxi drivers as they often do not obey rules and can stop suddenly and without warning. In particular Maxi Taxis are often involved in accidents when they stop to drop off passengers. Keep a safe distance.
The biggest danger is probably pedestrians as they tend across whenever they feel like rather than waiting for lights to change. Although this jaywalking is not legal you will be the one who gets in a lot of trouble if there is an accident.
Trinidad does also suffer from relatively high crime rates. Some people believe that having a license plate with the letter R (rental) makes them a target, and so vehicles are sometimes rented with the letter P on the licence plate. This is in fact illegal and you are more likely to get good service with the R cars. Driving after dark or in bad neighbourhoods in Trinidad is to be avoided.
Some of the rural roads are lined with cow dung and this is known as ‘leepay’, but the trend is gradually getting phased out as the island becomes wealthier.
Call the police on 999 and also your rental company. Get the licence number, name and insurance company of the other driver. Unfortunately there are many drivers on the road in Trinidad and Tobago who do not have valid insurance and this can be a problem. Try to take photographs if you can. Also attempt to get the names and addresses of any witnesses.
It is mandatory for the driver and all passengers to wear seatbelts in the front and back seats. Children under the age of 12 must have special fitted child seats.
A lot of the road signs in Trinidad are old which makes them difficult to read however the motorway signs are in better condition. The main highways run from East/West and North/South in Trinidad.
Fuel prices fluctuate a lot in Trinidad and Tobago but as the islands produce their own oil they are relatively cheap.
In Trinidad and Tobago the drink-driving limit is 0.08, however the authorities are often slack about enforcing these limits.
You must have either your domestic licence or an International Driving Permit depending on where you are coming from.Visitors from countries such as China, South Africa and Vietnam require a passport, International Driving Permit and national licence.
You must have an International Driving Permit unless you are from certain countries such as Canada, the UK, France, Germany, the United States and the Bahamas. In that case your domestic licence will be valid for a period of up to three months.
Trinidadians speak a local dialect in a charming sing song. You may find it hard to understand them at times, but most likely they will understand you.
Trinidad has one controlled-access highway.
Built up areas - 55 km
Highways - 80 km
In Trinidad the speed limits are rarely enforced. Because of this there are often a lot of accidents on the highways. You should not faster than 50 km per hour in Tobago. Distances are also marked in kilometres.
The conversion from kilometres to miles per hour is one kilometres = 0.62 miles per hour. Therefore the speed limit on highways is 50 miles per hour.
To hire a car in Trinidad and Tobago you must have held a licence for a minimum of two years and be at least 25 years of age.
In an Emergency you can call the police on 999 or ring 990 for the ambulance and fire service. The Coast Guard is on 634 440.
The United States Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago is at 15 Queen's Park, West Port of Spain and can be contacted on (868) 622-6371-6. Their website is http://trinidad.usembassy.gov/
The British High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago is at 19 St Clair Avenue, St Clair, Port of Spain and can be connected on (00) (1) (868) 350 0444. Their website is http://ukintt.fco.gov.uk/en
Parking is very haphazard in the capital Port of Spain and pretty much anything goes. Always park your car in a safe place and never leave any valuables in the vehicle.
To be sure that your car is safe use a designated parking lot or parking provided by the hotel where you are staying.