Driving Recommendations

DRIVING RECOMMENDATIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE

Traffic in Mozambique is regulated by the Road Decree (Law 1/2011). 
The information selected for the following driving recommendations was collected and summarized from the Road Decree.

GENERAL TIPS

1. All visitors using a vehicle in Mozambique should adopt a rather passive driving style to prevent any involvement in accidents.
2. Always carry your car documents.
3. Always carry a copy of your ID (including Visa).
4. ALWAYS STOP. According to the law, police has the authority to stop a car.
5. Traffic police officers always wear white shirts. They also have to carry a badge with their name.
6. If you commit traffic violation accepts the fine but NEVER pay it on the spot. According to the law, you have 7 days to pay in the Comando Geral da Policia or any Provincial Police Station.
7. Policemen are not supposed to keep your documents or the documents of the vehicle. That is against the law.
8. NEVER photograph a policeman. That is illegal.
9. Driving on the beach is not allowed. Some beaches have designated driving areas. You may only drive on the beach when launching a boat.
10. NEVER give a ride to a public order policeman (armed and with a gray uniform) if they ask to take you to a traffic police station. They can however call the traffic police patrol to the spot.
11. Policemen are NOT supposed to take you to a Police Station in any circumstances (except in case of an accident).
12. NEVER ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS WITH THE POLICE. BE ALWAYS KIND AND POLITE WITH MOZAMBICAN AUTHORITIES.

SPECIFIC DRIVING REGULATIONS ACCORDING TO THE MOZAMBICAN TRAFFIC CODE

1. It is prohibited to take alcoholic beverages or drugs in the area of the car reserved for passengers. It is forbidden to drive under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic substances (art 81).
2. Drivers shall not drive around with part of their body outside of the vehicle (art 16). So, avoid leaning your elbow outside of the window.
3. Vehicles shall be driven on the left of carriageways, and as close as possible to shoulders or sidewalks but at the distance from these required to avoid any accident (art 17).
4. Drivers should not use any type of audio headphone or television device while the vehicle is in motion, except for the use of devices equipped with headsets or microphones whose use does not require continue handling (art 89).
5. The driver of, and passengers transported in, automobiles, shall be obliged to use seatbelts and other safety accessories, on the terms set out in regulations. (art 87).
6. (Art 87) Children under the age of 12 who are transported in automobiles fitted with safety belts shall be secured by using a retention system designed for and adapted to their measurements and weight. Children transported in terms of the previous number shall be so transported on the back seat, except in the following situations:
   
   1. if the child is under 3 years of age, and is transported using a back facing retention system, in which case the air cushion in front of the passenger may not be activated;
   2. if the child is older than 3 years of age, and the vehicle does not have back seat safety belts, or does not have a back seat.
7. The transport of children under 3 years of age is prohibited in automobiles which do not have safety belts.
8. Sound signals shall be brief, used moderately, and shall in no case be used to protest against traffic interruptions, or as ways of calling others. (art 24)

IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, (ART 92)

1. A driver involved in an accident shall provide, to all other parties involved, his identification, as well as that of the owner of the vehicle and of its insurer, as well as the number of the insurance policy, and shall, whenever requested, produce documentation in proof thereof.
2. If the accident results in deaths, or injuries, the driver shall await the arrival of a traffic officer at the place of the accident.

FINES

The fine and costs shall be paid within a period of 15 working days, counting from the date on which the decision became definitive, and payment shall be made in the manners prescribed in regulations (art 172 and 181). If you decide to pay the fine on the road, ask for a receipt.

SPEED LIMIT

Maximum speed in Mozambique is 120 km/h. Before entering a town or village you will see signs of 80 and 60 km/h signs. DO RESPECT THEM. There will probably be a police vehicle with radar speed control at the end of the speed limit area. Sometimes there is no sign indicating you can start to drive faster (people from villages sometimes steal these signs), so keep the 60km/hour until the end of the inhabited area. Do also reduce the speed when you see a school sign.

1. (art 30) Speed shall be considered to be excessive whenever a driver is not able to stop his vehicle in the free space which is visible in front of him, or exceeds the speed limits set down by law. A contravention of the provisions of this Article is punishable by a fine of 1.000 Mt.
2. (Art 32) Speed shall in particular be adjusted in the following cases:
   
   1. On steep descents;
   2. At bends, at intersections, junctions, traffic circles, slopes in the road, bridges, tunnels and level crossings, and in other areas in which visibility is reduced;
   3. Next to schools, hospitals, and similar establishments, when duly signposted;
   4. In towns, or on roads lined with buildings;
   5. When approaching groups of people or animals;
   6. At intersections with other vehicles;
   7. In all places in which there is reduced visibility;
   8. On sections of roads which are in a bad state, wet or muddy, or which are slippery;
   9. On crossings on carriageways, indicated as pedestrian crossings;
   10. At places signposted with danger signs;

MOZAMBICAN TRAFFIC LAW ESTABLISHES FOLLOWING SPEED LIMITS (ART 33)

FINES APPLIED TO EXCEEDED SPEED

ANEX of Road Decree in Portuguese

If you are not able to understand each other with the policeman, you can show him/her the following extract of the Road Decree in Portuguese.

- About Fine Payments

Art. 172: Cumprimento voluntário (multas):

1. É admitido o pagamento voluntário da multa, ou reclamação, nos termos e com os efeitos estabelecidos nos números seguintes.
2. A opção de pagamento voluntário e sem acréscimo de custas deve verificar-se no prazo de 15 dias utéis a contar da notificação para o efeito, podendo, o infractor pagar a multa em qualquer Departamento Provincial de Trânsito da Policia da República de Moçambique ou Delegação Provincial de Viação.

DOWNLOAD, PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT BELOW:

Driving Recommendations Mozambique June 2016