Traffic fines in Costa Rica?
 

I had a discussion today with local polices in Costa Rica (I passed few cars on double yellow...) and they mentioned that traffic fines in Costa Rica are extremely high. They do not give any warnings, fine immediately. :oops2:
For passing few cars on double yellow, they said that the fine is $600 (USD)! :eek3: :thumbdown:

After around 30 minutes of discussion, we agreed that if I donate some money to their "coffee fund", they would forget my passing...

Have you had any fines in Costa Rica and are they really so filthy expensive?

Check this:

[url=http://www.nexiacostarica.com/multas-y-montos-de-la-nueva-ley-de-transito/]Multas y Montos de la Nueva Ley de Tránsito

my friend from nicaragua had a business in san jose and commuted there weekly. on the way home he got busted for crossing a solid yellow. cost him $400 USD. this was several years ago, so maybe they raised their fines. they don't F around there.

consider yourself lucky for being able to "contribute"

Hello,
years ago I past a truck on a double yellow line. There was police with a radar pistol as well. So I did 2 mistakes, crossing the line and driving to fast.

They started to remove my number plate from my car. After 5 minuts discussions I went on after paying mor or less 30 USD. They are corrupt there as well like (nearly) everywhere in Latin America.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Nica / CR / MX
 

Got stopped after crossing over a double yellow line in Nica. Managed to talk my way out of it. Mostly by agreeing to pay a fine, which meant going to a bank, in my weak spanish. During the stop I produced all the proper documents, including an International Driver thingy when the validity of my US license was questioned. The cops were pulling over so many drivers, that it was a losing proposition to waste time on me. They let me go.

A few days later in northern Costa Rica I made the same mistake, crossed a freshly painted double yellow...and was stopped by a cop who spoke perfect english. He made it clear, pay him $40 USD or pay a ticket of $80 (this happened in 2012.) I coughed up the money. Looking back I wish I had kept my cool and negotiated the payment down to $20 or $10.

The most important thing is to keep your wits about you, move slowly, ask them to repeat themselves a few times. Keep smiling. Make some jokes. It is possible to wear some cops down...

In 2013 in Mexico I was pulled over for a minor infraction. Maybe it was following a truck too closely or changing lanes without signaling (yes, this happened in Mexico...) The transit cops tried to intimidate me, complaining that I didn't have a Mexican address, so I would have to come to the station, which was closed by that hour in the late afternoon...so I would have to spend the night. My reply, the papers are in order, I am legal to ride in Mexico. Spend the night, OK, I can do that, but come on, it was a minor issue, how about a warning?

Then the question came, "Do I have $100?" My firm and smiling answer, "I don't take care of these kinds of problems on the side of the road." My license was handed back and I offered/promised to drive carefully...

You do see photo radar in CR. Word is they will make you pay on the way out of the country. It's not that big a place. Just follow their traffic laws. Dave