Tips for Driving In Mexico

The Open Road
Traffic rules are not much different in Mexico than in the U.S. There's no radar so you can drive as fast as you want. Even so, you may be passed by the busses. I don't know how they do it; even the aging Greyhound hand-me-downs are real performers.

Accidents
A traffic accident used to be a criminal act in Mexico but fortunately not any more. Nevertheless there still may be a tendency on the part of residents not to want to involve the police in handling an accident. If you have a problem, your Sanborn's insurance papers will include a list of lawyers and claims offices in Mexico that you can call.

Getting a Traffic Ticket
Here there is a sharp divergence between the Mexican and U.S. systems and I don't fully understand it myself. As far as I can tell, if you own a gun, a car, have a badge, and are friends with the judge, then one can be a traffic cop. The pay is not too good so they have to make do. If you are asked for your driver's license you must show it but you don't have to let go of it. Evidently there is a market for these and some people just like to collect them. It doesn't happen very often but you could get stopped for no reason and threatened with a ticket. The simplest thing might be to offer a bribe. You won't be given any change so it's a good idea to have an assortment of bills on hand. The rate is negotiable. This may seem somewhat distasteful but it's their system, it can't easily be changed, and it works. You can take care of your fine on the spot (the alternative is to go directly to the judge), it won't cost any more than in the U.S., and it won't go on your record.

Police Roadblocks
Here's something else you don't see too much in the U.S. Due in part to pressure from the U.S. government to stem the flow of drugs the Mexican government operates a number of checkpoints where your papers and the contents of your vehicle are examined by machine gun toting soldiers for drugs and weapons. There may also be machine gun nests on either side of the road. Interestingly, Mexican traffic is often waved through but tourists will all be checked. I once went through six of these in one day along the coastal highway. I don't think there are as many of them now.

Tollroads
There are a number of these, especially around urban centers. Although the tolls can add up, it generally best to take the toll road rather than the free (libre).

Mexico City
Mexico City has a major air pollution problem. In order to fight this they have instituted a restriction on vehicle travel within the city. Based on digits in your license plate number, there are only certain days of the week that you can legally operate your vehicle. If you bought Sanborn's insurance, they should have the specifics on this in their travel guide.

Stop Signs
Alto means stop and the stop signs look pretty much like those in the U.S. A stop sign at a railroad crossing means yield to oncoming trains. Nobody stops for these railroad crossing stop signs so if you do, you run the risk of being rammed from behind.