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There are some rules in Samoa that are quite unique to drivers there.

1. Hoot when you over take – no one looks in the review mirror.
2. Drive slowly through villages – there are people walking in the road. This is common at about 3pm when the kids come home from school, at 5pm when the villagers are returning from work and on Sundays when families are going to or coming from church. And makes driving hazardous.
3. Between 6pm and 6:30pm a bell is rung to signal quiet time – this is half an hour where the villagers will pray, mediate or reflect on God. Though we didn’t see it – we were told of some villages that when the bell rang they would stop right where they are to pray. This meant if they were in the road – that is where they stopped.
4. Driving through a village on a Sunday or during their quiet time required respect and stillness. In some places we noticed cars pull over to the side of the road. It also meant no hooting (so no overtaking), no radios, no slamming doors or any other noisy distractions.
5. Whatever you do – do not hit a child or a pig when driving. A child is very much a part of life and you are likely to get a serious beating. A pig equals wealth. They are reserved for very special occasions and a pig mistreated is not taken lightly. We were told if we hit a Samoan or a pig we were not to stop, but drive straight to a police station and hand ourselves in. If we stopped there was a strong possibility of getting hurt or beat up.
6. Wave at every person on the road, in their fale, in their garden or in a tree. I sometimes felt like a queen waving all the time. My arm often got sore and tired from waving. I remember driving through one village and I didn’t see some kids waving. The father whistled and shouted until we noticed, so that we could wave to them all.
7. Enjoy the scenery. Take your time. Don’t be in a rush!