Donkeys, farmers markets, traffic, active turn signals, and traffic lights you can’t see; expect to encounter them all while driving in Morocco. The following observations were gathered during my first roadtrip as driver from Rabat to Chefchaouen in December 2007.

Traffic signals. People generally observed traffic signals and attempted to obey them, which has not always been the case in Morocco. But, once stopped at a light, you can’t see it change color. Cars stacked two or three lengths behind you will begin honking wildly at the sight of green. You have no choice but to trust them and move forward; at least, if you plan on moving forward at all.

Active turn signals. Cars use their turn signals to show that they are passing another vehicle. When passing a car on the left, a driver will keep his left blinker on. He turns the blinker off once he merges back into the right lane. On two lane highways, this results in a lot of active turn signals. I’m not sure where this habit originated from, perhaps it is because all roadways are…

Shared roadways. Donkeys, pedistrians, random vehicles, and both wild and domestic animals rely on the same roadways the cars do. Plus, one lane roads tend to offer two-way driving. When driving in the Rif, I had to frequently pull off the road to allow another car pass. I’m not sure what determined a driver’s right-away. I generally tried to offer the other driver as much clearance as possible.

Aggressive merging. Most experiences I had driving while in Morocco I’ve experienced while driving around Washington, DC. When trying to navigate Dupont Circle during rush hour, you just have to push your way into the mix. The same applies to Morocco, except there you may have to push your car through a farmers’ market, which there is apparently both legal and necessary.

Lots of makes and models. In 1996 when we drove around Rabat in an SUV, we were conspicuous; an abnormality. These days, SUVs in Morocco are not uncommon. In fact, there are a lot more cars on the road of all makes and models. There is generally more traffic.

Tickets and fines. The law is being applied on the roadways in Morocco in an effort to make them safer. (See: Morocco Launches Emergency Road Safety Plan). Fines for moving violations in Morocco start at 400 dirhams (about $50) and are payable to the issuing officer. While corruption remains a problem in Morocco, the fines are necessary to stop repeat traffic offenses.

I was pulled over for speeding on my drive back to Rabat from Chefchaouen. In my case, the police officer spoke to me in French and showed me the radar which measured my speed at 79 km/hour. He explained the speed limit was 60 kmph, which I failed to notice as I dodged donkeys, randomly-crossing pedestrians, and miscellaneous farm equipment. In fact, I’m not sure the speeding signs were posted. But, he had evidence, he shared his evidence with me, and he appeared to follow a law, albeit a poorly-posted one. He seemed on the up-and-up and even passed-up our attempt at a compromise (“We only have 200 dirhams”).

Be sure to travel with proper paperwork for your vehicle, your driver’s license, and some extra cash. Ultimately, we were able to talk our way out of paying the fine (“Touristas?” he asked, and waved us on). But, if police officer had been insistent, we would have had to pay the fine to get my driver’s license back, which could have meant a return trip to a little out-of-the-way town on Monday.

Diesel gasoline. When stopping at a gas station on the way to Chefchaouen, I watched diesel vehicles fill up their tanks while the attendant explained to me that sans plomb had run out. You’re better off driving a diesel vehicle in Morocco. Diesel gas is cheaper than unleaded and more likely to be in stock.

Landmarks. When I asked a police officer if I was on Avenue Hassan II (there’s one in every city), he insisted on knowing where on Hassan II I wanted to be. He wouldn’t give me a yes or no answer. When I mentioned the place I was looking for was near a Shell Station, he happily pointed the way. Forget street names that are difficult to learn and harder to pronounce. Maps are hard to come by. Pointing or saying north, south, east, and west will likely get you no where. Landmarks, be they great or small, are key to navigating Morocco.