To drive in Morocco may seem scary and intimidated for foreigners. You will certainly feel nervous when you arrive to a roundabout for the first time, as you probably won't know who should give way to traffic or how many ways actually exist. But you can be sure that you will easily get used to the Moroccan road rules, and even to the unfamiliar driving conditions. So don't rely on the exaggerated preconceptions since they will only deprive you from a free, epic road trip around the adorable cities, impressive mountains and calm deserts.

The following advices are all you need to know about driving in Morocco:

Follow the official rules of the road

It is necessary to have an idea of the general Moroccan road rules before taking the trip in order to avoid problems and bad experiences.

• The minimum age to drive is 18 and you should always carry your valid driving license with you as well as your passport.
• Drive on the right and give way to traffic from the left.
• Wear a seatbelt all the time and stay off your phone.
• Respect the maximum speed limit: 60 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h outside the towns depending on the limiter set on the road. And on highways the limit is 120 km/h.
• In Morocco police are strictly applying the speed limit law. Even if it is only 5 km/h excess, you are going to be issued a 400 MAD fine. So, watch your speed and save your money!
• Also, respect traffic lights, since the fine for missing a red stop sign is actually 700 MAD.
• If an accident occurred, stay at the scene and wait for police to arrive.
• Although Morocco has no drink drive laws, but it is forbidden to drink-and-drive as it is the case in all countries.
• Don't worry about the road signs since they are almost identical to those in Europe and despite the fact that the majority of them are written in Arabic and French an English translation is always available for the important markers and signs. Otherwise, you can easily understand the meaning by the images.

Be the defensive driver.

Following the rules isn't enough; You should always proceed with caution. Local drivers often do not respect the established rules and it is hard to predict when they will give way. The best approach is to be the cautious driver: For example, be the person who gives way, use the car horn to let others know you are coming around a bend, keep a safe space between your vehicle and the others...

Communicate with others, drivers and pedestrians.

Another important advice is to always let other drivers know what you are about to do: Proceed slowly when entering a side street, don't accelerate suddenly... Use the eye language, your hands or even the car horn to make drivers and pedestrians expect your next move, or simply to say thank you or sorry.

Generally, most city drivers tend to be aggressive and very confident, while in the other hand, the countryside drivers seem to be very careful and welcoming except for some reckless racing enthusiasts.

Know how to deal with roundabouts.

Unfortunately, roundabouts have become very frequent in every Moroccan town. Local drivers seem to know what rules apply to which roundabout. You should distinguish between two types of roundabouts:

• Roundabouts without traffic lights: If you are on it, you have priority until you leave it. If you are about to enter it, do when it is possible or when no one comes your way.
• Roundabouts with traffic lights: If you are on it, stop to let the traffic that has a green light on your right to go first. If you enter it during green light, you have priority.

Adopt local driving practices.

Honking is certainly one of many local practices that are common among Moroccan drivers. In this country, the car horn is used for all kinds of reasons:

• To tell you to start driving at a red light when it is about to change.
• To tell you it's safe to overtake, or not.
• To tell you "get out of my way."
• Added to a thumb up to say "thank you for letting me pass" or just as greeting.
• To solve a traffic jam.
• To make you follow them (in the case of faux guides.)

And aside from honking, Moroccan drivers tend to drive in the middle on the road whether it is a crumbly sided motorway or a modern 4-lane highway. And sometimes, the two-lane motorways become 3, 4 or even 5 cars wide making the navigation very complicated. In other words, lines are simply decoration.

Also, it is certain that you will experience a police check when driving in Morocco as police checks seem to be everywhere around the country.

Generally, you can remark their presence when other drivers begun to slow down without a reason or flash lights.

All you should do is to slow down, smile and be nice.

In some sensitive areas, you can be asked to show your passport, driving license and the vehicle's documents.

Policemen are extremely polite and friendly with foreigners, but that doesn't mean they won't issue fines if needed.

A last important point is to pay attention to bikers and pedestrians. They often have poor traffic awareness: People and schoolchildren crossing busy motorways, motorcycles winding between traffic...

Be careful on the highway.

It is probably a never-seen behavior in Europe, but in Morocco pedestrians walk in highways trying to cross if the next bridge is far away.

Also, on a highway you should be cautious from the extremely fast cars exceeding 180 km/h as well as the very slow ones such as overloaded vans and trucks or elderly drivers' vehicles.

Toll roads are a quicker and more comfortable way to travel between Moroccan cities: For one ride, the price ranges from 5 to 20 MAD. However, these prices can change in major motorways: For example, Rabat-Tangier is about 60 MAD. You take a ticket upon entering and pay at the end.

Avoid night time driving.

The golden advice is to try as possible to never drive at night.

Roads seem to get even busier especially in cities, and the fact that as you are probably a foreigner, you may still be uncomfortable while driving in the Moroccan roads which makes the situation very hazardous.

Now, it is true that the street lighting is generally good in almost all the cities, but in mountainous areas, your headlights will be the only light source.

After dark, all kinds of obstacles can be expected: Dogs, bikers without lights, dark clothed passersby, donkeys and carts... And it is legal for cars travelling under 20km/h to drive without lights.

Park securely.

You should keep in mind that in Morocco parking lots are not free. These sites are equipped with ticket machines that you must use in order to pay for parking, or sometimes cashiers replace the machines.

Often, you will find helpful staff members with high vis jackets. Their job is to show customers where to park easily and securely in the filled parking lots for a few dirhams.

You should never park in the first place available even if it is the side of a deserted road. It is quite possible that a tow truck arrives and takes it away, so keep an eye on the car.

In addition, don't leave valuable things in the car overnight especially if it is not parked in a secure place.

Here are some relevant informations about parking in Morocco:

• The fine for illegally parked cars can reach 1500 MAD.
• Parking is not allowed at the kerbsides painted in red-and-white stripes. The one painted with green-and-white or yellow-and-white mean you can park.
• The parking's tickets issued from machine cost 2MAD to 3MAD per hour for maximum two hours.
• Parking is free on Sundays.

Expect unfamiliar obstacles and road users.

Animals sharing the road is quite an unfamiliar sight for foreigners and visitors. But it is very common to encounter donkeys pulling carts and riding on the right edge of the road.

Faux guides are also among the Moroccan road users: They target foreigners, try to attract their attention in order to lead them to a shop or hotel where they will ask to get paid for their unsolicited service.

In the mountainous passes, lots of people and children jump onto the road trying to sell tissues and souvenirs, or sometimes restaurants' owners will try to get you to visit their shops. In order to avoid hitting them, you should be careful of the oncoming traffic.

And finally, before entering cities and towns, find out if the narrow Medina streets can be drivable since those narrow roads were not initially designed for cars.

Refuel at every opportunity.

Filling stations are widely available even in remote areas. However, try as possible to always keep at least half a tank while driving around the country.

Petrol stations in Morocco don't generally work with the self-serve system, there is always an attendant to fill up. Tell him how much you want to spend on fuel and the type you need. Diesel is relatively cheaper than petrol.

Most gas stations have cafes and restrooms.

The Islamic, African and European influences made the Moroccan touristic destinations even more rich and fascinating.

Driving around the kingdom, as scary as it may appear, is definitely the best way to discover and experience all the interesting spots, something no booking tour can provide.

If you are vigilant, applying the road rules and learning from local drivers, you will realize that all the other weird or sometimes disturbing situations are just part of the whole adventure.

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