Cheap car rental in Lesotho - Traffic Safety and Road Conditions

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Traffic Safety and Road Conditions

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions which differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Lesotho is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Safety of Public Transportation: Poor
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Fair
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Poor

The authority for road safety issues rests with the Lesotho Mounted Police. Travelers should never assume right-of-way because aggressive and undisciplined local driving habits result in frequent collisions. Lesotho has a high number of traffic-related deaths and injuries given its small size. Even the previous king died in a road accident in 1996. Driving after dark is dangerous due to the absence of street lighting, animals on the roads and the prevalence of crime, including occasional carjackings.

Travel is best accomplished by private car. Rental cars are available, and cars rented in neighboring South Africa may be brought into Lesotho with written permission from the rental company. Although bus and public taxi services exist, chronic overloading combined with inadequate vehicle maintenance and lack of driver training make them unsafe for foreign visitors. Some private taxi service exists in the capital, but roving mini-bus taxis should be avoided. There is no train service in the kingdom.

Approximately 25 of Lesotho's 5000 miles of roads are paved in some fashion. A few main rural highways compare to U.S. two-lane rural roads, but lane markings, signs, shoulders and guardrails are not to U.S. standards, and unfenced livestock pose a particular danger. Lesotho's mountainous interior makes driving on secondary roads hazardous. Unpaved roads in the interior, although often narrow, twisting and steep, are poorly maintained. For travel in the interior, especially in wet or snowy weather, a high ground clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended. A four-wheel-drive is required for entering Lesotho through the Sani Pass on the eastern border.

There are no auto club or reliable ambulance services. Drivers should contact the police in emergencies.

For specific information concerning Lesotho driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, please consult the Lesotho government official web site via the Internet at http://www.lesotho.gov.Is/tourism.

For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/road-safety.html.