Driving in Ecuador

The way people drive in Ecuador is very different from what I am accustomed to in the States.  When I am driving to and from Baldwin-Wallace College, I use the freeway for most of the trip.  I start in Eastlake, go through Cleveland, and end up in Berea.  Sure, there are plenty of drivers out there who go too fast, switch lanes frequently, and cut me off, but this is nothing compared to the way traffic flows in Ecuador.  I thought I had seen crazy driving in Washington, D.C.  I was sorely mistaken.  In Ecuador, it's much more crazy.  There are regularly 5 cars taking up the space of 3 lanes (and there were lines painted on the road, at least in this case).  They squeeze quite close to one another to make it work, and sometimes their mirrors are almost touching.  Motorcycles fly down the middle of double yellow lines between heavy traffic flow, and occasionally even use the sidewalk to circumvent stopped or slow traffic.  People cut each other off all the time, and most are insanely close calls.  I am amazed at the low number of accidents I have seen with all the insanity I witness on a daily basis.  On the faster roads, it's not uncommon for people to drive in the middle of 2 lanes until someone flies up behind them, honks his horn (or flashes his brights if it's night), and makes them move over so they can pass the slower car.  If the speed limit is 70 KM/h, one should expect to see everything from 40KM/h to 100KM/h.  The signs for speed limits appear to act only as suggestions.  Speaking of suggestions, so are all stop signs.  I don't think I have once seen or been in a vehicle that completely stopped at a stop sign, unless a car was directly in the way.  Most of the time if it seems clear, they just go ahead and take it and never touch the brake at all.  This goes for lights too.  Left on red?  No problem!  There are traffic cams?  No problem!  Yes, I am serious.  This experience of traveling via automobile in Ecuador has drastically changed my view on driving.  When I return to the States, I will probably undergo a culture shock.  Organized lanes, no passing on double yellow lines, motorcycles actually driving in a lane, traffic cams stopping people from running red lights, police that pull you over for dangerous maneuvers, etc.  I feel like it will be so orderly that it will seem unreal to me.  We'll see!