Highway Speed

[Keith Woolford]

Most folks must be aware by now that they(?) have recently removed the reduced speed zones on the new Via Boquete. The speed limit is now, to the best of my knowledge, 80 kilometers per hour all the way through from Dolega to Boquete.That means people are now burning through Alto Boquete with all it's entrances, exits, pedestrians, and dogs at 50 mph plus. I have heard or read of no good reason for this change.

[Keith Woolford]

The bridge on the Via Boquete over the Pan American Highway in David is now open to through traffic. No more 'left, right, left' to go downtown and vice-versa to return.

[David van Harn]

Interesting - I usually drive to David at 80-90kph (50-55mph) and few vehicles pass me, although I often see someone pulled over and getting a ticket. Rarely is one of the vehicles passing me going really fast. But then again, I'm not on the highway very often - usually only once or twice per month.

My Corvette and BMW M3 sports car days are long past, and I enjoy relaxed but alert driving, and appreciating the scenery. And I do wave people past, or pull over to let them pass on two-land roads.

I noticed the 80kph signs in Alto Boquete, but in the Los Algarrosos/Los Anastacios residential area between Dolega and David, it's still 60KPH.

[Chuck Thomas]

I have to speed, at my age I need to get there quick before I forget where I am going.

[Ricco]

but the problem is those like you posting at whatever thoughts you find acceptable regardless of what the posted subject is. Seems perhaps the Panamanians need to enforce this blog more diligently than they currently do.

[David Dion]

Isn't it strange that the U.S. allows 70 mph and I will bet with fewer accidents (percentage wise). Maybe some driving lessons for bad drivers I see every day. By the way I just got a ticket for 96 in a 60 by radar. The strange thing was that my radar detector never went off. Absolute fraud !! I know going to court will be a laugh so I get to pay for the 96 that the last driver was doing.

[Sheldon Kalmus]

Mph or kph? 96mph get you walking papers in VA. Unless you pay at least $2,500 to a lawyer to get it knocked down. 20mph over the limit can get you loss of license, quite a large fine and maybe jail time, if you make it a habit. What is the highest speed you can go on the best road in Panama?

[Chuck Thomas]

if you see a white Honda Ridgeline with an AUBURN decal on the back speeding, it is not me, unless you are going faster than me, then it is me.   Glad to hear I was not the only one who got a speeding ticket at the Caldera intersection. 

[Lee Zeltzer]

Load WAZE on a smart phone, use it, and you will be able to avoid most tickets. It is a great tool and worth the cost of a telephone that will use it, Apple or Android.

[Keith Woolford]

This highway is certainly no comparison to the Autobahn or a North American highway in terms of design, quality and safety. Nobody's whining here, either. My point wasn't about the speed limits on open stretches, it's about traveling at a reasonable speed in built-up areas like Alto Boquete where there are very few cows but plenty of people.

[Dennis Nutting]

No they are actually mostly limited with 130 kph while the unlimited portions are rare -- part of my last job in the military while working at the embassy I drove all over Germany. 

Agree drivers are better taught and follow the rules of the road more than they do most other places making driving at the higher speeds on the autobahn possible -- only real exception seemed to be during fog they never slowed down enough....lol  I loved driving there in both car and motorcycle.