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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. People who have obviously never driven one foot on a Méxican road or street wrote most of the negative articles about driving in México. México's traffic signals and laws are almost identical to our own laws and signals. Traffic Lights use the standard Green/Amber/Red configuration, cautionary signs are yellow and diamond shaped, and stop signs are (supposed to be) octagon with white lettering on a bright red background. Throughout the country it is legal to make a right turn after a stop (unless prohibited with a sign). In fact México has adopted many of the sign and signal formats that we are familiar with. Buy a basic Spanish phrase book before your trip. Learning how to tell someone you need a mechanic (necesito un mecánico), help changing a tire (necesito ayuda para cambiar la llanta) or directions (donde está or como llego a) can be very useful. Even if you can't pronounce it quite right, people will usually get the message and be able to effectively communicate to you what you need to know. The AAA road map of Mexico will give you the distance and approximate driving time between locations. Never Do Anything Unexpected But Always Expect The Unexpected. Many accidents occur between RV's and residents because the RV driver swerved, changed lanes, pulled out, or turned a corner without looking first. Mexican drivers seldom use turn signals themselves but they certainly understand their function. In Mexico you must drive your RV in such a fashion that other drivers can "predict" your next move with some degree of certainty. Most city drivers are used to RV's. They "expect" RV's to lumber their way through town. Don't worry when impatient motorists roar around you either, because on the open highway the same drivers do the same thing when passing a bus doing eighty miles per hour. If you're swinging wide at a corner in order to make a right turn and a tiny sedan squeezes it's way up the curb alongside, have your co-pilot hang out the window and point which direction you intend to go. Make them back up before you turn. Mexicans love to crowd two cars abreast per lane. Again: Drive in a predictable fashion. Use turn signals. If you wish to change lanes or turn across traffic in bumper-to-bumper traffic cut you wheels over hard when stopped and make little surging motions with accelerator and brake. Méxican drivers are about as courteous as California drivers. Mexico is criss-crossed by an extensive network of paved primary "autopistas" (highways) and secondary arterial roads. You will find them designated as Autopistas or the sign may simply say "Cuota" which means that you pay as opposed to "Libre" where you can travel for free. Sometimes the only designation for a toll road may be the letter "D" beneath the sign. The country embarked on a dizzying road building campaign in the early and mid nineteen nineties. The result of that effort was the construction of some ten thousand miles of toll roads. Few maps accurately depict all of the newer highways, but in one instance (with the exception of the immediate area surrounding México City) it is now possible to remain on multi-lane expressways from the Texas border all the way to Acapúlco. On the Pacific coast, multi-lane expressways now whisk the traveler from the international border at Nogáles, to Mazatlán. The average two-lane road in Mexico is clogged with diesel trucks, busses, and passenger cars. Most Mexican roads lack adequate shoulders and many miles of them have steep drop-offs where pavement meets dirt. Depending on the state in which you live you can count on two-lane roads being narrower than what you are used to. Older roads are the narrowest, with the transpeninsular Bája highway being the queen of the slim roadways. Lane widths throughout the country vary from about ten feet to sixteen feet.
Many four-lane highways were converted to tollways
in the early and mid-nineties. The older four lane roads have narrower lanes
than our interstates. Highways built in the eighties and nineties have wider
lanes and at least some degree of shoulder. Even drivers new to México find
driving on the toll roads a piece of cake.
Road surfaces (as compared to equivalent highways in the US). México does not employ the same construction techniques when constructing or maintaining their highways. Surfaces are usually rougher than roads north of the border. Lunar Landings. Many travelers describe the Mexican road system as a succession of potholes strung together with a patches of pavement. Others argue that the Mexican Highway department has large elephants walk the roads before the asphalt cools. Unfortunately, both descriptions are reasonable— always carry rescue flares in the event of being swallowed by one of the larger craters . Merge? Often times lanes will simply disappear of their own accord. Without warning, they stop— no sign, no gradual taper to other lanes, just an end to the pavement. The first time it happens you may slam on brakes and stare in amazement. By the third or fourth time you'll master the no-look merge without missing a beat. Roads to avoid or to take with caution: Toluca – Ixtapa via Hwy #134. Finally, remember that distances are measured in kilometers, not miles. On the plus side, you seem to be moving a lot faster since kilometers are is just 6/10ths of a mile. On highways, estimate that for every 100 kilometers, it takes an hour of driving. Please read our Driving an RV/Caravan and Driving on the Right Hand Side pages for more information. The "proper" title for expressway is "autopísta" but Mexicans just call them "Cuotas" (tolls). Most of the newer toll roads are patterned after freeways in the United States. Cuts were made through mountains, huge bridges were built to span arroyos, and grades were moderated by routing the road around severe mountains. Access is quite limited primarily because the toll road operators don't want drivers to use part of the system without paying. Road surfaces have remained in good shape because a great majority of México's motoring public cannot afford the high fees to use them (Luxury buses are an exception). Government owned toll roads are more reasonable than private toll roads. RVs pay the same rate, axle-for-axle as diesel semi-trucks. A three-axle motorhome towing a dinghy, will pay two fees: The first toll, for a two-axle motorhome, will be nearly double that of an automobile. The second will be full-fare for the dinghy. Camper pickups pay the auto rate; pickups with more than two axles (towing) will pay the equivalent diesel truck rate. The difference can be appreciable; a section that costs the driver of an automobile ten dollars can cost the RV'er (towing a dinghy) twenty-five. To temper indignation over the high fees, you may wish to consider the following: In exchange for paying an eighty-dollar surcharge (towing a dinghy) from the border to Mazatlán, the tollways save two days of travel time. Besides saving time, two night's RV park fees are saved, along with thirty to forty percent on gasoline. The regular highway passes through every city and town, winds up and down every small hill, and is choked with derelict trucks and busses. Toll roads on the other hand are virtually empty of traffic. Pay the Way. Mexico is full of toll roads, and most are not worth the exorbitant cost. The two exceptions are the route between Juarez and Chihuahua (it's eight dollars for a motorcycle to go 100 miles, but it takes you quickly through a desert with no alternative routes), and the byways around Mexico City (a metropolis from which no foreign driver has yet escaped with their sanity intact). Caution signs (sharp curve, steep hill, and town near) are conventional diamond-shaped yellow signs. Stops signs are supposed to be shaped and colored like US signs (bright red, white letters on an octagon plate) but in rural areas, you may find faded and peeling "ALTO" hand painted on an almost-red lid of a fifty-five gallon drum, tacked to a tree (up in the branches). Gasoline station "Distance To" advisories are posted on the outskirts of town advising motorists of the number of kilometers until the next station (but no guarantee that it has gas). White on blue (international symbol) signs announces services such as restaurants, mechanics, and hospitals. Legends explaining international symbol signs are found in most travel publications and highway maps of México. Most are self-explanatory but text-only signs should be studied and memorized before you depart. "Ceda El Paso" may make no sense in Denver, but in México, recognition of "Yield Right Of Way" is of the utmost importance. Since 'highway patrol' is an oxymoron south of the border, open road driving between cities differs from the United States. Speed limits are posted, but drivers are free to more or less go as fast as they want. Defensive driving is highly recommended
Traffic
Signal Lights
Compared to signals north of the border Méxican traffic lights are quite dim. Some lights have missing reflectors and tubes, too many suffer burned-out bulbs, or a recent windstorm may have twisted the fixture so that the lights shine in the window of a corner grocery. Very few intersections have multiple fixtures that act as a backup in case one bulb fails. A red light will come on suddenly after a too-brief amber signal. Some towns have signals that flash the green light several times before switching to a brief steady amber signal (this is a cue for Méxican drivers to floorboard the gas pedal). "Espere para flecha verde" means "wait for the green arrow" in urban left turn lanes. Remember that most people do not use their turn signals and not all cars you see on the road have functioning brake lights. Avoid accidents by keeping your distance, using your turn signals and being aware of those who don't. Driving in Mexico is often particularly frustrating for Americans and Canadians, especially if it is their first adventure behind the wheel south-of-the-border. Some Mexican drivers do not allow for what most people would consider a safe distance from the car in front. Often buses, taxis and trucks don't appear to care who has the right of way. They make their own rules: "Me first and the hell with everyone else." The size of a vehicle also seems to be a predominant factor in determining the right-of-way. You must always drive cautiously and defensively. However in some situations you must also drive equally aggressively. Learn to anticipate anything and assume nothing. Be alert to unexpected stops and drivers who tailgate. Keep your cool and ignore horn blasts by impatient drivers. Always know who has the right of way. This is sometimes difficult because, even though you may be in the right, if the "the other guy" is bigger, he won't care. This means you will want to slow down at all intersections and look both ways whether you are required to or not; it also means you will want to yield to larger vehicles that want to occupy your same lane space. Sometimes, at a three-lane stoplight, the two right lane vehicles will cross the left lane to make a left turn. In such cases, counter-intuitive as it may sound, the left lane driver must yield to the drivers or risk being sent home in a body bag. Tip: When you see the truck in front of you with his left turn lights flashing, you may be getting a signal which by local custom means it's safe to pass. They are found everywhere in México. Speed bumps can range from rippled concrete, to veritable asphalt barrows. Really big bumps must be approached by first coming to a complete stop, then easing the rig (and towed vehicle over them one axle at a time). Known as "Topes" (pronunced TOW-pays) Méxican speed bumps are placed to slow-down speeding trucks and busses in congested urban and suburban areas. Few solitary topes are encountered, so beware of successive speed bumps. For most drivers it takes a scare encounter with an unexpected tope to leave a lasting impression. Speed Kills. Just about every settlement, from sprawling village to lone gas station, will be fortified by what they call lopes. The English translation is "speed bumps," but a closer approximation is "Appalachian Mountains." They are steep and wide, and first time you hit them, cruising at an oblivious 60 MPH, you're liable to overturn your vehicle. Afterwards the word "topes" will always elicit a certain paranoia and dread among in-the-know drivers. No the highway department isn't being inconsiderate. Decades ago, the government learned that if it bulldozed a clearing alongside the highway it wouldn't be long before a tire shop or basic shanty restaurant popped up soon afterward. Shady wide spots do exist and most are safe to take lunch at. Use discretion on really busy highways however. Toll roads always provide convenient areas to park immediately after the tollbooth. Most have reasonably clean restrooms (take toilet paper). This is an excellent and very safe and quiet area to rest and even catch forty winks (very few Méxican trucks). Don't take chances with excessive speed or driving after dark, when potholes, stalled cars with no lights, cattle crossings and stones on the road are potential dangers. Often the roads have no shoulders and there is no place to pull off in case of an emergency. It is not unusual in the countryside to be driving along a lonely road only to suddenly encounter a pair of alternating flashing red and amber lights stacked on a pole alongside the road. Jamming on the brake pedal you look for a road junction, schoolyard, or crosswalk. Nothing greets the eye or ear except miles of empty highway and the whistling wind. On the shoulder of a ruler-straight section of roadway, you spot a regulation stop sign. You hit the brakes and peer through the windshield. Nada (nothing). Two hundred yards further down the road is another and two hundred yards further, yet another. Finally you come to a T-intersection and the last of four regulation stop signs. On a truck clogged two-lane road your partner suddenly yells, "There's the sign for the turnoff!" You brake madly while nervously glancing in the rear view mirror. Deep ditches line both sides of the road. A quarter-mile later, an identical sign complete with arrow -- but there isn't even a burro track to be seen. A third sign leaves you muttering under your breath. You're starting to steam by the time you cruise by the fourth sign but suddenly you spot the side road. You're so relieved to be rid of a tailgating bus after your turn that you almost forget about being so aggravated about the three duplicate (advisory) signs. Livestock Crossing. Worry about deer where you live? In Mexico you better anticipate more than just Bambi. In cities, every pedestrian, bicycle, pushcart and horse cart will vie for a space on the road. In the country it gets worse. Yes, deer may be a problem, but so are cows, horses, donkeys and goats. Always be aware of livestock. On most U.S. roads, livestock is unheard of except in rural areas. In Mexico, however, livestock creates a large problem because of a lack of fencing around the highways. Livestock are normally left to roam wherever they can find food and this is sometimes near a well traveled road. In the area where I live, Lake Chapala, 40% of the traffic accidents that occur involve livestock in some way. These statistics are not official so the number could be 35% or 45%, but from what I have seen I would say the 40% is fairly accurate. Routing signs are much more common today than they were ten years ago. It is not unusual to encounter a trail of signs that lead you effortlessly through an urban area to rejoin the highway on the other side of the city. Then again many cities and town mark cross streets with a tiny bronze plaque set onto a wall on a building located on the far corner of an intersection (A co-pilot with binoculars would be an asset). Overhead signs on freeways may be inconveniently placed slightly "after" the designated turnoff. It's necessary to remain vigilant. Speed limit signs are in Kilometers per hour, but from the way the locals are driving you'd swear that they interpret the signs to read Kilometers Per Minute. Parking signs and traffic flow direction signs can be baffling to the uninitiated. It pays to study "Méxican Signology" before leaving home. Of the minority of RV'ers who encounter a glaring traffic cop, most are for driving the wrong-way on a (clearly marked) one-way street. Uniform standards are being applied but the process is slow. Some areas have amber centerline striping with white shoulder stripes while others use white for the centerline and yellow for the shoulders. Lane delineation stripes will sometimes lead the unwary into an oncoming lane or onto someone's front lawn. Though most roads are designated for two-way traffic, and some go so far as painting lines in the middle to delineate direction, this in no way inhibits drivers from using any and all in their efforts to pass slower vehicles. For those traveling in small cars (or, worse, motorcycles) this leads to occasional trips to the shoulder as larger on-coming rigs occupy your lane for extended periods. 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". Look closely at parking signs and you might see small numbers indicting total parking hours permitted or the time of day that parking is permitted. Mexican stores allot much less space for parking than do similar size US stores. Only an optimist would drive a motorhome or pickup with 5th wheel to go "grocery shopping". Parking spaces are for cars and are tight. Aisles leave scant room for turning and maneuvering of compact cars let alone an RV. Equally disconcerting is the park-where-you-please policy that exists country-wide. While this may prove convenient for the frequent pit-stops that acclimation to regional cuisine entails, it has the overall effect of creating obstacle courses on certain city streets. And at night the random scattering of stationary objects become more like a mine field, since they appear with no warning and can be fatal when encountered. Penalties for school-zone speeding are dramatic in the US, and Mexico generally agrees with the strict policy. Neighborhood pressure can increase to the point where a cop has to cite a speeding RV'er regardless if the driver spotted (or intended to obey) a nearby speed limit sign. For whatever reason the American (or Canadian) may come away with the impression that they have been "ripped-off". Schools look like schools in México and to recklessly speed by one borders on arrogance as far as a cop is concerned. Many drivers are polite and they drive in a cautious manner. But good percentage drive like adolescents --too fast for conditions. According to recently released statistics México's accident rate is six times higher per hundred thousand miles than it is in the US. Most accidents happen after dark, and many involve drinking drivers. In fact a large majority of accidents happen between two drivers that are both driving unsafely. As you will probably experience at the border entering México, drivers crowd, and jostle for position when queuing in front of traffic signals, toll booths, and lane merging zones. They aren't raging maniacs but opportunists who will instantly wedge into a opening barely bigger than their car if they feel that doing so will give them an advantage. Mexican truck drivers love the pulsing throb of an unmuffled four hundred horsepower diesel engine. Many trucks and buses have straight exhaust pipes. The racket that some of them produce will make you wish that your overnight campground was miles further from the highway. The shattering roar from a bus as it flashes past your open side window can make you more awake than you've been in years. Trucks with engine exhaust brakes allow the driver to emit various chords of racket -- occasionally you'll hear "Shave And A Haircut, Go Team Go" and other melodious emissions. Mexicans use their horns as a form of audible telegraph -- a pretty señorita walking by a street full of macho truck drivers for instance, will encourage various salutations of wolf-whistles, roars and screeches. Rather than waste their turn signals on frivolous issues (like signaling for a turn) Mexican drivers advise following traffic when they think it's safe for you to pass them. The signal is a steady blinking left turn signal. This occurs on the open highway. In developed areas and or if brake lights are seen, prepare to brake because the left turn signal is being used for its original intended purpose. The Jekyll/Hyde syndrome. Mexicans are some of the most laid-back people on earth, but put them behind the wheel of a car and a chemical transformation takes place. Suddenly, those care-free amigos don't have a second to lose. Traffic lights, stop signs and posted speed limits are major impediments in there mad race to get where ever they are going as quickly as possible. Just take care to stay clear of their paths. If you get lost, or find yourself in the middle of a strange city during rush hour, don't panic. Pull over and hail a taxi. With a smile say, "por favor" (please), point to to your map and indicate where you are going. Follow the taxi. When you're safely on the right way again, stop, say "muchas gracias" (thank you) and tip the taxi driver generously. Automobiles are an expensive luxury for most Mexicans. The country's bus system is gargantuan and well developed. On the open highway buses tend to run flat-out, then slam on the brakes for a fare waiting on the side of the road. If you're unlucky enough to be caught in this situation, you'll end up playing tag numerous times. This would be a good time to take a rest break. Bus drivers love to tailgate, then pass at the first skimpy opportunity. Note: Mexican intra-city buses frequently have restrooms aboard which need to be emptied. If you need you can follow one buse to their city terminals in order to empty your holding tanks (for a modest fee of course). Approaching cars that flash their headlights are warning of imminent danger ahead. The danger might be a collapsed bridge, a romantic bull dallying on the centerline or a stalled (or overturned) big-rig. Consider it an obligation to pass the message along in turn. The impromptu early warning system has saved countless lives and spared thousand of injuries. On rural roads a person waving an article of clothing at you is a sure sign that a stalled car or truck lies around the next blind curve. You might also find a row of beer bottles, several bucket sized rocks, and a derelict armchair used to warn oncoming traffic. Any foreign object in the road (even an exploded muffler) must be treated as a warning of a dangerous obstacle ahead. Mexico is an old country. Many towns were founded and expanded when horse drawn buggies and wagons ruled the roads. A wide street can become incredibly narrow and crooked in a matter of a few blocks. Bypass ring roads (called "Perifericos") encourage drivers to avoid city center areas (signed "Centro"). Before you try to jam your thirty-foot motorhome through a fifteen-foot intersection, explore the town or village Centro on foot. Of course if you follow a bus or large truck you shouldn't have any problem. Studies have shown that ninety percent of the fatal accidents in Mexico occur between dusk and dawn. Drinking drivers are found on the road. All of the obstacles and hazards that challenge your daytime driving skills will be there but you won't see them as well. Mexican road striping paint does not reflect in your headlights very well and the paint is used sparingly. Streetlights are sparse or non-existent. Pedestrians love to walk on the pavement. Mexican jalopies are infamous for having no lights or blazing high beams that do not dim for oncoming traffic. Fences are uncommon and cattle congregate on warm asphalt. Caution signs are difficult to read. Driving at night in Mexico is best left to those drivers who have an unshakable belief in their immortality. As essential an accessory as lights may seem for night driving in the United States, they are deemed optional by many Mexican drivers. Whether this is in some way believed to conserve gasoline, or the locals merely put more faith in their night vision is uncertain, but the surprising encounters that result (it's amazing how quickly an unlit truck can materialize in your headlights), will make it clear why crucifixes and Catholic medallions hang ubiquitously in Mexican cars. It is often cautioned not to drive at night on the Baja highway. The major reasons are: Note: With reasonable care driving on toll roads can be quite enjoyable at night. Remember though, eventually you're going to have to negotiate your way through a "mine field" to get to your destination. Many years ago some "delinquentes" (petty criminals) thought that they can stop people in the middle of the night on a lonely stretch of road and take their money. This is unusual now because the Mexican police and the army like to find these criminals and "take care of them". Bandits are an endangered species these days. In the last ten years the government has beefed-up patrols on major roads. Daylight driving completely eliminates the bandit's favored environment. Unless you travel extensively at night on backcountry roads the chances of meeting a "bandido" are almost nil. Although there are reports of people being stopped and their property being stolen while on an isolated road, there are few reports of people actually being injured. The best way to avoid this is to drive during the day and not to stop for hitchhikers. Also beware of any foreign objects in the road, these are normally placed there so that an unsuspecting driver will be forced to stop. Try to restrict driving to daylight hours. This is common sense wherever you drive since road signs are easier to read, road hazards are easier to see and avoid and there are normally more cars traveling the same road you are so there is less chance of anything bad happening. To highly organized color-code-conscious American eyes the Mexican visual driving scene is something akin to a Christmas tree. Diesel trucks flash by with strings of multi-colored marker lights. Tow trucks amble down the road flashing blue and red overhead lights. Interpret these warning lights with a grain of salt. Cop cars, fire engines and ambulances are unmistakable in appearance. The rules governing their right-of-way is exactly the same as in the US but not always followed. Plan on driving no more than five or six hours a day. Allow an hour for lunch, and three twenty-minute rest stops. If you are caught in a long queue of traffic behind a slow truck. pull over at the next opportunity, have a picnic, and maybe when you resume driving the road will be empty (what a dreamer). Big-rig drivers will pull over for a two to three hour "siesta" (nap). The hour varies with the region, but I always try to time it so mountain passes, steep grades and other critical stretches are dealt with "minus the diesel semi's". Military And Police Check Points Mexico uses its Army and Navy as "National Police". Occasional checkpoints (called "retenés") are encountered. They are looking for narcotics and illegal firearms. Some brand-new tourists fret when they encounter "Teenage kids carrying machine guns". Relax -- those kids are the same ages as our uniformed teenagers who are carrying rocket launchers in Kosovo and they too are professional soldiers. Mexico isn't Kosovo, however, nor is it a banana republic. The kids have to maintain an image of "Macho" by wearing stern expressions. In truth they are young men separated from their families by thousands of miles (they are never stationed close to home). In the "unseen" war on drugs in Mexico, these young men are risking their lives in remote areas when you are safely tucked in your bed at night. After a brief look around inside your RV, they wave you to proceed. Some people have a fresh roll of toilet paper, some canned sodas, and perhaps an old flashlight or two to give away at these "retenés". If you camp in an area that requires you to pass repeatedly through a particular "retén" you might make it a point to introduce yourself to the various crew shifts. There is only one brand to choose from (Pemex) and prices are uniform throughout the country. Stations are not referred to as "Estacions de Pemex" by the way. The are called "Gasolinerias" (gah-so-leen-AHR-ee-ahs). Overhead signs are white on Green. Underneath the logo are additional color-coded signs depending on of the stations sells other fuel besides regular unleaded Magna Sin. A Black sign announces the presence of Diesel fuel, while a red sign indicates that Premium unleaded is available. Don't bother looking for the price, which is available only on the pump. Pemex is a government monopoly -- they don't need to entice customers. Please read our Mexican Fuels page for more information. The Green Angels "Los Angeles Verdes" The federal government maintains a fleet of thousands of bright green service trucks with mechanics aboard to assist motorists who encounter mechanical difficulty on the road. The trucks have a full width light bar with red lights atop the cab. Each truck is assigned a route which is supposed to be covered twice a day. In tourist areas and along tourist corridors one or both of the mechanics frequently speak English. Their services are free of charge but motorists are expected to pay for oil, gasoline, and parts. Their services are limited to minor repairs, changing of flat tires, or jury-rigging a repair in order to render a vehicle capable of making it to a shop under it's own power. Because mechanical repair is their forte, Green Angels are a gold mine of information about surrounding repair facilities and the abilities (or limitations) of their mechanics. Some repair shops will let you "camp out" while repairs are done. Each truck has a communications radio that can summon a tow truck or alert the local hospital of an emergency. Green Angels will stop for vehicles that are parked on the shoulder with their hood raised. Green Angels crews are well aware of (and thankful for) the generous gratitude shown by grateful RV drivers over the years. A tip to a Green Angel isn't a bribe. After they soil their clothes and strain their back muscles changing a heavy flat tire, some people think it is a good idea to give them a modest banknote. In addition they will supply them with ice-cold soft drinks and sandwiches while they work. Its a way of saying "Thanks, I appreciate your help". |
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