Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) has flagged a growing road hazard that anyone planning to drive in the country should know about: packs of motorcyclists performing stunts on public roads, holding up traffic and, in some cases, assaulting drivers who object.
Víctor Moreno, who heads the investigation unit for crimes against physical integrity and traffic offences at the OIJ, described the pattern at a recent press conference. Riders move in groups, do tricks while travelling and block the free flow of other vehicles. Some of these manoeuvres have already led to serious crashes, and motorists who protest at being held up have occasionally been attacked by group members.
The wider context is grim. Motorcyclists account for 58% of people killed at the scene of traffic crashes in Costa Rica, according to official figures. Preliminary data from the Road Safety Council (Cosevi) put 2025 deaths at crash sites at 572 — 67 more than the year before. Road safety has become one of the country's most pressing public security issues.
Enforcement is catching up, slowly. Lawmakers gave final approval in April to a Traffic Law reform aimed squarely at stunt riding. It now sits in the most serious tier of traffic fines — more than 360,000 colones (roughly $750) — adds six points to the offender's licence and lets authorities take the vehicle off the road. Previously, there was no specific penalty for stunts, only a general provision with a much smaller fine.
There's a gap, though. The OIJ coordinates with the Traffic Police on alcohol checkpoints, but no targeted operations against stunt groups or illegal street races have been carried out yet, and no timeline has been announced. Anyone threatened or assaulted on the road can file a complaint with the OIJ, which also takes anonymous tips on its confidential line, 800-8000-645.
Why does this matter to travellers? Costa Rica is a self-drive favourite — think renting a 4x4 to reach La Fortuna's waterfalls, the cloud forests of Monteverde or Pacific beaches along the coast. If you're behind the wheel there, the practical advice is simple: give motorcycle packs plenty of space, don't engage if a rider cuts you off or blocks your path, and let the situation pass rather than confronting anyone. Expect slower traffic on main routes if a group decides to take over a stretch of road, and factor that into drive times, which already run long on Costa Rica's winding mountain roads.
