On the Road in Morocco
Moroccan drivers seem to adhere to a code of carefree chaotic camaraderie. Arriving in Casablanca, I first noticed the modern wide streets, freshly striped and signaled, with well-designed traffic circles. But I quickly realized the painted lines are merely decorative. Drivers ignore them completely, weaving in and out and often straddling the line between lanes in order to have the choice of which to drive in, depending on which one is faster. No one seems to mind this.
A working car horn is important to have in Morocco because honking is just part of driving, and it serves a variety of purposes. Rarely, however, is it used to show anger. When a stoplight turns green, for example, drivers honk to make sure the cars in the lead don’t forget to move out instantly. And drivers honk when they want to merge in front of you, or when they want to pass, or when they think they know you, or when they think they don’t know you. There’s a lot of honking in Morocco.
Few countries adhere to the sedate, controlled driving practices we’re used to here in the US. American driving can appear grandmotherly, even though drivers may be seething inside at the slow guy in the fast lane who's oblivious to the cars stacking up behind him, or the driver who cuts him off. But when I asked our Moroccan driver if there was any “road rage” in Morocco, he couldn’t understand the concept.
Most Moroccan drivers seem willing to help one another, whether it be to pass, to merge, to get where they are trying to go, or to avoid getting nailed by the ever-present roadside traffic cops, and everyone knows the routine. It involves assertive driving, being constantly alert, never hesitating, often yielding, and lots of honking.
Seat belts and child car seats are mandatory in Morocco, and cell phone use while driving is prohibited. Speed limits are strictly enforced by roadside traffic cops posted every few miles, and drivers will flash their headlights to warn approaching vehicles coming from the opposite direction if they’re about to encounter one.
If you do get pulled over, however, the police can be bribed with cash and a well-thought out excuse such as “I had to talk on the phone! It was my mother calling!”
A working car horn is important to have in Morocco because honking is just part of driving, and it serves a variety of purposes. Rarely, however, is it used to show anger. When a stoplight turns green, for example, drivers honk to make sure the cars in the lead don’t forget to move out instantly. And drivers honk when they want to merge in front of you, or when they want to pass, or when they think they know you, or when they think they don’t know you. There’s a lot of honking in Morocco.
Few countries adhere to the sedate, controlled driving practices we’re used to here in the US. American driving can appear grandmotherly, even though drivers may be seething inside at the slow guy in the fast lane who's oblivious to the cars stacking up behind him, or the driver who cuts him off. But when I asked our Moroccan driver if there was any “road rage” in Morocco, he couldn’t understand the concept.
Most Moroccan drivers seem willing to help one another, whether it be to pass, to merge, to get where they are trying to go, or to avoid getting nailed by the ever-present roadside traffic cops, and everyone knows the routine. It involves assertive driving, being constantly alert, never hesitating, often yielding, and lots of honking.
Seat belts and child car seats are mandatory in Morocco, and cell phone use while driving is prohibited. Speed limits are strictly enforced by roadside traffic cops posted every few miles, and drivers will flash their headlights to warn approaching vehicles coming from the opposite direction if they’re about to encounter one.
If you do get pulled over, however, the police can be bribed with cash and a well-thought out excuse such as “I had to talk on the phone! It was my mother calling!”
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Morocco presents a unique set of driving challenges in terms of obstacles in the road.
Outside the biggest cities, roads tend to be narrow and definitely not limited to vehicles. Weaving among cars, trucks and buses are women in traditional djellabas or head scarves, middle-aged men in Western attire, older bearded men in kaftans and fez hats, children holding hands, young men in bleached jeans and logo shirts, families walking together, bicyclists, motorcycles, and many varieties of horse-drawn conveyances. Heavily-loaded donkeys carry produce to and from the souks much as they have done for millennia, and dogs roam freely. In the countryside and in the south, flocks of goats, sheep and ambling camels may also be part of the traffic scene, along with vendors selling everything from terra cotta tangines to carpets, donkey baskets, herbs, tea pots and live chickens. It's a kaleidoscope of color and motion. |
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We were passing through the town of Quaria just as school was letting out for the 2-hour lunch recess. Girls in bright pink uniforms were walking in groups, chatting and laughing. Some wore traditional head scarves along with skin tight leggings underneath: respect for tradition with a bit of rebellion mixed in?
Young men, wearing their backpacks but not school uniforms, poured into the street in front of our car. Running up to the rear of a public bus, they yanked open the engine compartment cover and jumped on to get a free ride, not bothered by the heat and fumes belching forth. This was obviously a stunt they’d played before! |
IN THE SOUTH
More on honking:
When our driver wanted to pass another vehicle, for example, he’d come up close behind it, flash his headlights, honk and move a bit into the middle of the road to show his intentions. The other driver would assess whether it was safe for us to pass (important to know when on a twisty narrow mountain road and the vehicle in front of us was an 18-wheeler that we couldn’t see around), and then let us know by turning on one of his blinkers. The left blinker meant “If you pass now you’ll meet certain death.” The right blinker meant “Sure, go ahead, it’s safe to pass if you move now and pass very quickly.” It's all about trust; if you can't trust, you don't get to pass.
When passing, one honks again while in the act of doing so (as if to remind the other driver that yes, you are in fact really passing him), and then another couple of honks (“thank you”?) after you’ve completed the pass.
More on honking:
When our driver wanted to pass another vehicle, for example, he’d come up close behind it, flash his headlights, honk and move a bit into the middle of the road to show his intentions. The other driver would assess whether it was safe for us to pass (important to know when on a twisty narrow mountain road and the vehicle in front of us was an 18-wheeler that we couldn’t see around), and then let us know by turning on one of his blinkers. The left blinker meant “If you pass now you’ll meet certain death.” The right blinker meant “Sure, go ahead, it’s safe to pass if you move now and pass very quickly.” It's all about trust; if you can't trust, you don't get to pass.
When passing, one honks again while in the act of doing so (as if to remind the other driver that yes, you are in fact really passing him), and then another couple of honks (“thank you”?) after you’ve completed the pass.