The Cayman Islands are a favorite destination for tourists in the sunny Caribbean, and the islands are very well developed, particularly on the western side of Grand Cayman, the largest of the three islands. There are lots of car rental agencies to hire a car from, and you are highly recommended to do so in order to get the most out of the islands. All of the major car hire companies are there, and you can advance book or hire on the day easily and conveniently.

For American visitors there are some things you need to know in advance before you start driving on the Caymanian roads.

First of all, unless you have an international drivers\’ license, you must obtain a Visitor\’s Driving Permit. This is valid for six months and will allow you to legally operate a motor vehicle on the islands.

Your US driving license is not valid in the Cayman Islands, and if you drive with it you will be driving illegally and will face stiff fines and penalties if you are caught.

You can easily obtain a Visitors Driving Permit from the car hire agency, and the cost is very small – a few Cayman Island dollars (the currency is the Cayman dollar, denoted as CI$ and is not the same as the US dollar).

Children under the age of 12 years must ride in the rear passenger seats and wear seatbelts. If your child is under the age of three, the child must ride in a safety approved car seat suitable for the child\’s age and weight and it must also be correctly fitted. These requirements are the responsibility of the driver.

A major difference in driving on the Cayman Islands is that they drive on the left hand side of the road (we drive on the right). This is not usually a source of any difficulties, however it does mean you need to pay extra attention to your driving and remember to check the road in both directions whenever making a turn (it is easy to forget and look in the wrong direction and forget the traffic is coming from the opposing side of the traffic stream).

\”Roundabouts\” or rotaries are common on Caymanian roads, and these can present some difficulties to drivers unused to them. You enter them slowly and cautiously and will proceed in a clockwise direction. Vehicles entering the roundabout from the right hand side are given priority and you must give way to them before you enter the roundabout yourself. You must also use your blinkers (\”indicators\”) to signal your intention to exit the roundabout.

You are allowed to turn left on a red light at traffic stops, providing it is safe to do so. You must come to a complete halt before proceeding however (no rolling stops) and give way to any oncoming traffic with priority.

Drinking and driving should never be conducted; however there are exceptionally stiff sanctions for doing so. This includes jail time and deportation for visitors, depending on the severity of the offense.

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Category: Travel
Keywords: grand cayman, vacation, driving,