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The information provided in all Mexican pages are only suggestions and anecdotal stories. The information in the Mexican pages is a generic peace of work and is meant only as a general guide, it should not be taken as absolute fact. The information provided in this pages can change at any given day. Agua Water Alto When driving through an unfamiliar town always anticipate that the upcoming unmarked intersection will be missing its stop sign. Sometimes vandals steal them, accidents bend them edgewise, or perhaps the road crew borrowed it for a couple of weeks. Sure clues of an intersection to stop at are: a stop sign for oncoming traffic or pronounced skid marks (or shards of broken glass) on the pavement. Regardless if there is a sign or not, treat all intersections with extra caution. Trucks and buses love to park where they block a stop sign from view. Mexican drivers are notorious Stop Sign runners. Some of them engage in a low-speed, rolling "Hollywood Stop" while others charge through at high speed. Note: An Alto sign with a small added sign underneath that says Alto Total tells drivers that if they don't stop they risk even a larger fine if caught (there is usually a cop parked nearby). Alto Total usually signs a frantic intersection. Area de Descanso Rest Area Bomba Pump Camino Cerrado Road closed Carretera Highway Ceda El Paso Yield right-of-way. The signs are of triangular shape, red, and black on white. Occasionally you will encounter obstacles on city boulevards known as gloriettas. A glorietta can range from fifty feet in diameter to a piece of land with a hundred-foot statue set on it. In all cases traffic flow revolves Counter-Clockwise around the glorietta (The same rule holds true for plazas and village squares). Most gloriettas these days have modern traffic lights, but others are freewheeling bumper tag arenas. If you get flustered as to which street you need to take (they radiate away from the monument like spokes on a wheel) proceed slowly. Even if you make a faux pas offended drivers will swirl around you without incident. Note: Always assume that the other driver has the right of way (especially in a Glorietta). Conceda cambio de luces Dim your lights for oncoming traffic Cuesta Peligrosa Interpret this as "Dangerous Grade". Steep grades are sometimes pictorially signed with a diamond yellow sign showing a car going up (or down) hill. Dangerous grades have claimed multiple lives over the years (one is aptly named "Lucifer's Grade"). Always test my trailer's brakes before going over the crest. Going uphill, anticipate running up on a truck doing three miles per hour (usually well hidden around the next blind curve). Cuota Toll Curva Peligrosa "Dangerous Curve". You may see other worse curves before and after this, but someone got hurt or killed to "warrant" the dangerous curve sign. Despacio Slow Despacio Desviación Slow Detour Desviacion Detour. Disminuya la Velocidad Slow Down Doble Sentido means "Two Way Street" and is a sure indication that a one way street is nearby (like the next block). Encruzamiento de Ferrocarrilles Most railroad crossings today are marked with a familiar "wig wag" or X shaped sign. Traffic is supposed to come to a full stop at railroad crossings. After a marked decline in the fate of the Mexican railroad system in the last few years more and more drivers are ignoring this law (a cop can still write a fat ticket for doing so). I always stop just to play it safe. Estacionamiento This is a great word to practice the pronunciation of español vowels. Es-stah-see-yawn-ah-me-en-toh. Try saying it a few times. When you see it or a large "E" near a parking lot, or space, you'll remember what it stands for parking. A sign with a large E surrounded by a red circle with a diagonal slash means No Parking. Entra y Salida de Camiones Trucks entering and exiting Este Camino no es de Alta Velocidad Not a High Speed Road Ganado Ganado in Spanish means cattle. Mexican cattle roam freely over the range and onto the road. Observing the frequency of skid marks found on an otherwise open and lightly-traveled highway will provide a sobering realization of the frequency of hits and near misses. Many diesel big-caravans/RVs have heavy anti-collision pipe fixtures welded onto the front bumper. Diamond shaped yellow signs with the black silhouette of a horned steer on them are to be taken seriously. Drive an otherwise empty stretch of highway at no more than twenty-five miles per hour if cattle are frequently seen on the shoulder. Realize that standing cattle can't accelerate fast enough to jump right in your path. Grava Suelta Loose Gravel Guarde su distancia Keep your distance Hombres Trabajando Men at work HWY Mex1 : Scenic Road HWY MEX1: Expensive Toll Road Llantera Backyard tire repair Llene hasta la última gota Stuff the tank Maneje con Precaución Drive with caution Máquina Trabajando Heavy Machines at work Mirador Scenic view No Deje Piedras sobre el Pavimento Don't leave rocks on the pavement No Rebase Don't pass. When paint stripes are evident a dotted centerline indicates that the paint crew believes that it would be O.K. to pass on this stretch of highway. A solid line (raya continua) indicates no passing allowed in one or both directions. Liberal interpretation is needed here; if you have crested a hill for instance and ahead of you is straight and clear then the solid no-passing centerline is for the benefit of traffic going the other way. Obedesca las Señales Obey the Signs Pipa Chica Bulk Truck Pipa Grande Tank Truck Planta de Gas Bulk Tank Poblado Próximo Town Near. You can bet your last enchilada that you are going to have to reduce your speed when you see one of these signs. Preción Preasure Principia Zona de Derrumbes Begin rockslide area Principia Zona de Vados Begin area of dips Puente Bridge Respeta la Señales Respect the Signs Respete limite de velocidad Respect the speed limit Retorno Return Salida Exit. Si Disminuye su Velocidad Llegará con Seguridad If you Slow Daown, you are much likely to actually arrive at your intended destination Si vas a Acelerar Ponte Primero a Pensar If you are going to Accelerate First put a Little Thought into it. Tanque lleno Full Tank Tanque vacío Empty tank Teléfono Telephone Termina Zona de Derrumbes End rockslide area Tramo en Reparación Road repairs Transito lento carril derecho Slow traffic on the right lane Tope Speed bump Un Sentido One Way Street (Always accompanied by an arrow, sometimes said as Solo Sentido. Un solo Carril Single Lane Utilice su Cinturón de Seguridad Use your seat belt Vado Vados are dry washes that cross the road. The usual indicator is an International Pictorial Sign (yellow diamond) with a bunch of squiggly lines crossing a highway. Vados can fill with flood water from a distant storm in a matter of minutes. Unless you are dead sure (a perfect choice of words) that you can make it across a flooded vado, wait until an impatient diesel semi truck blazes a trail. Zona de Ganado Cattle Area
Camellón Central Central Divider Cruce de Peatones Pedestrian Crossing Precaución Zona Escolar Caution School Zone Prohibido Estacionarse No Parking Se Usará Grúa Tow-away zone Topes Speed Bumps
Carril Izquierdo solo para Rebasar Left Lane only for Passing Caseta de Cobro Toll Booth Estacionaminto sólo para Emergencias Emergency parking only Guarde su Distancia Keep your Distance No Tire Basura Don't throw trash Transito Lento Carril Derecho Slow Traffic keep Right Zona de Fallas Landslide area
Signs for Trucks Cierre su Escape Close mufflers by-pass No Utilizar Freno con Motor No engine braking Ruta de Camiones Truck Route | |||||||
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