Driving Differences: Samoa vs Tonga Safety Insights

When navigating the roads of Samoa and Tonga, understanding the distinct regulations and practices is crucial for a secure journey. Key variations include speed limits, overtaking rules, and penalties for infractions. While Samoa mandates annual vehicle inspections, Tonga emphasizes immediate payment for traffic fines. Explore these contrasts to ensure safe travels in both nations.

samoatonga

LEFT

Driving Side

The driving side in samoa is the Left Side of the road

Driving Safety Score

The driving Driving Safety Score in samoa is 72

0 $

Gas Price in USD

The driving Driving Safety Score for samoa is 0 US Dollars

While the driving side of a country remains the same, the driving safety score is updated annually based on each countries car accident fatality rate. Lastly, the gas price is only an estimate. Due to frequent fluctuations, it serves as a general reference rather than an exact figure for each country.

Lanes

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	Samoa	Tonga
Markings: Solid Yellow Line	Marks the centerline on two-way roads.	Often used to separate traffic directions.
Overtaking: On Left	No	Yes
Overtaking: On Right	Yes	Allowed on multi-lane roads or when the vehicle ahead is turning left.
Bus Lanes: Usage	N/A	N/A
Bus Lanes: Markings	N/A	N/A
Cycle Lanes: Usage	N/A	N/A
Cycle Lanes: Markings	N/A	N/A
High- Occupancy Lanes: Requirements	N/A	N/A
Variable Speed Limits: Indications	N/A	N/A

Markings: Solid Yellow Line

samoa:

Marks the centerline on two-way roads.

tonga:

Often used to separate traffic directions.

Overtaking: On Left

samoa:

tonga:

Yes

Overtaking: On Right

samoa:

Yes

tonga:

Allowed on multi-lane roads or when the vehicle ahead is turning left.

Bus Lanes: Usage

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Bus Lanes: Markings

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Cycle Lanes: Usage

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Cycle Lanes: Markings

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

High- Occupancy Lanes: Requirements

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Variable Speed Limits: Indications

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Speeds Limits

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	Samoa	Tonga
Urban Areas: Standard	25-40 km/h	40-50 km/h
Urban Areas: Residential Zones	20 km/h	40 km/h
Rural Areas: Cars And Motorcycles	55-80 km/h	70-80 km/h
Rural Areas: Buses And Vans	55-80 km/h	70-80 km/h
Rural Areas: Trucks And Trailers	55-80 km/h	70-80 km/h
Highways: Cars And Motorcycles	Not applicable	No specific highways with designated higher speed limits
Highways: Buses And Vans	Not applicable	N/A
Highways: Trucks And Trailers	Not applicable	N/A
Variable Speed Limits: Indications	N/A	N/A
Enforcement: Speed Cameras	Yes	No widespread use
Enforcement: On-the- Spot Fines	Yes	Common; paid directly to traffic officers

Urban Areas: Standard

samoa:

25-40 km/h

tonga:

40-50 km/h

Urban Areas: Residential Zones

samoa:

20 km/h

tonga:

40 km/h

Rural Areas: Cars And Motorcycles

samoa:

55-80 km/h

tonga:

70-80 km/h

Rural Areas: Buses And Vans

samoa:

55-80 km/h

tonga:

70-80 km/h

Rural Areas: Trucks And Trailers

samoa:

55-80 km/h

tonga:

70-80 km/h

Highways: Cars And Motorcycles

samoa:

Not applicable

tonga:

No specific highways with designated higher speed limits

Highways: Buses And Vans

samoa:

Not applicable

tonga:

N/A

Highways: Trucks And Trailers

samoa:

Not applicable

tonga:

N/A

Variable Speed Limits: Indications

samoa:

N/A

tonga:

N/A

Enforcement: Speed Cameras

samoa:

Yes

tonga:

No widespread use

Enforcement: On-the- Spot Fines

samoa:

Yes

tonga:

Common; paid directly to traffic officers

Signals

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	Samoa	Tonga
Traffic Lights: Red And Amber Together	Not used in Samoa	Not commonly used in Tonga
Use Of Indicators: Roundabouts	Signal when exiting	Use indicators appropriately
Traffic Signs: Language	English and Samoan; symbols are standard	English and Tongan; symbols are standard

Traffic Lights: Red And Amber Together

samoa:

Not used in Samoa

tonga:

Not commonly used in Tonga

Use Of Indicators: Roundabouts

samoa:

Signal when exiting

tonga:

Use indicators appropriately

Traffic Signs: Language

samoa:

English and Samoan; symbols are standard

tonga:

English and Tongan; symbols are standard

Turns

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	Samoa		Tonga
Right Turn On Red	Not allowed		Prohibited
U- Turns Allowed	Allowed unless prohibited by a sign		Varies by location; check for signs

Right Turn On Red

samoa:

Not allowed

tonga:

Prohibited

U- Turns Allowed

samoa:

Allowed unless prohibited by a sign

tonga:

Varies by location; check for signs

Documentation

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	Samoa		Tonga
Vehicle Inspection: Requirement	Annual inspection required		Required; proof may be required

Vehicle Inspection: Requirement

samoa:

Annual inspection required

tonga:

Required; proof may be required

Alcohol

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	Samoa	Tonga
Limits: Professional Drivers	0.02%	0.04%
Limits: Underage Drivers	0.00% to 0.02%; zero tolerance	Zero tolerance
Enforcement: Random Checks	Common	Common at specific times or checkpoints

Limits: Professional Drivers

samoa:

0.02%

tonga:

0.04%

Limits: Underage Drivers

samoa:

0.00% to 0.02%; zero tolerance

tonga:

Zero tolerance

Enforcement: Random Checks

samoa:

Common

tonga:

Common at specific times or checkpoints

Emergency Services

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	Samoa		Tonga
Contact: Traffic Police	685-22-222		Contact local police

Contact: Traffic Police

samoa:

685-22-222

tonga:

Contact local police

Penalties And Fines

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	Samoa	Tonga
Common Fines: Speeding	Varies; ST$50 to ST$500, points on license	Varies; spot fines by discretion of traffic police
Common Fines: Seat Belts	ST$100 to ST$200	Mandatory; fines for non-compliance
Common Fines: Phone Use	ST$50 to ST$300	Fines for handheld phone use while driving
Common Fines: Traffic Light Violation	ST$100 to ST$500, points on license	Fines apply
Payment: On The Spot	Yes; fines usually paid online or by mail afterwards	Common; fines usually paid immediately
Payment: Deadline	Varies; typically 30 days to pay	Immediate payment preferred

Common Fines: Speeding

samoa:

Varies; ST$50 to ST$500, points on license

tonga:

Varies; spot fines by discretion of traffic police

Common Fines: Seat Belts

samoa:

ST$100 to ST$200

tonga:

Mandatory; fines for non-compliance

Common Fines: Phone Use

samoa:

ST$50 to ST$300

tonga:

Fines for handheld phone use while driving

Common Fines: Traffic Light Violation

samoa:

ST$100 to ST$500, points on license

tonga:

Fines apply

Payment: On The Spot

samoa:

Yes; fines usually paid online or by mail afterwards

tonga:

Common; fines usually paid immediately

Payment: Deadline

samoa:

Varies; typically 30 days to pay

tonga:

Immediate payment preferred