one of the easiest rules for visitors to follow while in rio de janeiro is never cross the street on a green light - residents of rio de janeiro drive fast, and most people will not stop to let anyone cross the street - extra attention should be paid when crossing the street in ipanema and copacabana, near the beach, since traffic is very fast and pedestrians can get hit by cars or bicylces on the bike path.

many roads have traffic going both directions so it is advisable to check both ways before crossing - the same rules apply for bike paths since bike lanes are normally filled with cycling traffic - unaware individuals stepping in the way of speedy cyclists are a danger to themselves and the bikers

at night, visitors travelling by foot should be aware that many drivers ignore red lights due to safety concerns - night time car robberies are most likely to occur when individuals are stopped at a red light, so anyone crossing the street at night should be watching for cars that might go through red lights