Tips for Driving in Mexico and Not Crashing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
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DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer, real estate professional, immigration specialist, import broker, financial advisor, major league umpire or astronaut. The information provided in my videos is based on my own experiences and/or research and is not intended to serve as professional advice. I make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of said information. In other words, take some responsibility for your own life choices and conduct your own research before making important decisions.
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I loved how you talked about this. I tell people Mexico has stop signs, stop lights and lane markers, but these are merely suggestions. lol.....
so true. stop sign = yield
Was just in Cozumel for a few weeks,rode in TONS of cabs,and rented a bicycle. Rode up and down the Melgar dozens of times,and came to the conclusion that every moment is a series of calculated near misses,like a dance. It was beautiful! No road ragers,no horns,no hotdogging loud Harleys or earth shaking base from donked out cruisers,and,most importantly, never saw a single incident. US drivers on the other hand,they'll run you over on purpose to punish you for DARING to think you have any right to use THEIR personal public roadway...
The US has a hostile car dominated landscape
"Every moment is a series of calculated near misses." Very well put, and so spot on!
Very true I haven't encountered any road rage there. I would add two things: Trucks and high profile vehicles will leave their left turn signal on to tell you it's OK to pass. If someone is going to turn left on a two lane highway they tend to signal left but then pull over to the right shoulder and CROSS the highway instead of turning from it (after you have passed). That's a MUCH better way than we do it in the U.S.!
As a motorcyclist, I have been on many back roads where only the trucks can tell what's up ahead. I learned (slowly, carefully) to trust them as an indicator of when it is OK to bounce out for a fast pass. I would never trust a US driver to give me accurate info to bet my life on. I think they just like to see someone with a fast vehicle that can drive as the road calls for. Oh, to be on a bike on the Mazatlan-Durango Highway again!
@@BOULDERGEEK Mexicans love to drive fast and I love them for it, haha.
All very true! No road rage here in San Miguel de Allende either. Nowhere. Guadalajara? Nope! Queretaro? Nope! Traffic just moves and we don’t need stop signs at intersections! You just take your turn! Honking? Nope! Anger? Nope! Driving in Mexico just works.
Paul is diplomatic. "Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas any more..." Gotta remember where you're at😎
Interesting video. I wish you would’ve mentioned some thing that completely shocked us when driving in Mexico. When you are on a 2 Lane road and want to pass a car, many times the car in front will turn on the left blinker. This does not mean the car is turning left. In Mexico it means it’s OK to pass! It took us a while to adjust to this. And now I really appreciate it when someone does that. =:-)
Really? Haven't seen this while driving for a couple weeks in QR. In Europe we blink to the right if the road in front of us is free to overtake and left if there's incoming traffic from the front. That makes more sense as the left turn signal officially means "I'm turning left/overtaking'.
I feel like it's more about the possibility of honking at the wrong person that forces you to remain calm 😂
Spot on. I spent 10 months in Baja Sur and everything you discussed was accurate. One thing I also noticed was that drinking a beer while driving is not illegal. I experienced this twice, being stopped once by the police in Mulege and once by the Federales while having a beer between my legs and nothing was said either time. I was shocked because I thought, being from the U.S., I was going to jail. Nope. They were both polite, professional and did their jobs well.
Actually it is illegal, depend on how drunk you are cops would let you go after some "money", or if they want they would take you to jail
@@bigpapa870 Its NOT illegal, I asked the Mulege Chief of Police while I served him his fried grouper fish dinner one night at the cantina I was helping out at. He DID say that if you showed signs of being impaired, they would probably question THAT, but not if you were normal and sober. I guess it's up to the discretion of the officer. it happened to me twice.
❣️ simply love this one 😂 it’s you „badly need to adjust“ and that’s exactly what’s all about when entering another culture or country all over the world ❣️
Thanks, Anne. :)
Wow, I drove my car from Canada to all over Mexico. I had no problems but we learned very quickly all your points. And that was 20 years ago. Nice to see thing have not changed. Our only problem was communication but we found out if you just smile, it will get you a long way. We had an army check point in the middle of no where, it was a bit scary by our standards, we smiled and keep our hands where everyone could see them and smiled. After a short time one of the soldiers spoke a bit of english and all went well. He even thanked us at the end. Love Mexico driving !!
I’ve been a little afraid of renting a car and driving in Mexico. I appreciate this video, makes me think I’d be ok.
It’s funny how in the U.S. we aren’t very tolerant of other people, specially their driving. I think I’m drawn to the Mexican culture because of the more friendly attitude towards others. We could learn a thing or two.
Thanks for all the tips and insight.
Fear not. be courteous. Always yield. NEVER drive faster than your brakes can respond, and expect the unexpected. Every kind of life form in your path at any given moment. (Do not drive at night).
I’ve driven in a dozen cities in Mexico and they are all manageable. Except in Mexico City. That place is INSANE.
That depends on where in the USA you are. In the midwest states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, etc if you are not in a major city traffic is very easy going and many people stop to check if you pull over. When I drive in eastern states I am very much more on defense to avoid the idiots that brake check and swerve in front of people to see them lock up the brakes. In western states it is pretty calm driving but the pacific states seem to breed very angry people. In the south once again away from the cities and it is nice to drive, cities seem to make people stupid and suicidal.
Mark . . . . there's another cultural difference . . . . 'inching your way' to get onto a road from an intersection. when there is traffic and there is no traffic lights. hate to say it, but if you dont 'inch your way' . . . you could be there for hours and nobody would let you pass . . . i guess its just part of the culture . . . they expect you to 'inch your way' . . . till somebody is forced to let you pass infront of them. no problem.
@@victorflores6349 It is what it is. I mostly just go around the right side of the road as it's mostly free, albeit with significant road damage.
Love your advice about road rage “ leave it at home”!! Great tips !!!
Great video. I live in Yucatan, and one thing I've noticed is that Mexicans DO use their horns for the purpose that they were intended. Not to tell someone off, but the give a brief cautionary alert. If you see someone is about to back out of their driveway into oncoming traffic.. one polite beep lets the other driver know, be careful, or caution. Lots of helpful little beeps.. no angry "hornings" like up north.
Yup, even the buses make short, informative beeps for potential passengers just walking on the pedestrian path.
Paul, you are a brilliant story teller and an English speaking narrator ! Even though I have never planned to move to Mexico from my home country (which is Ukraine), I have signed up for your channel to enhance my English language skills. It really is a pleasure to listen to you speaking the sort of English (both vocabularily and auditorily) that any non-native speaker should be dreaming of listening to and learning from. Thank You for that !
Excellent culture talk, more than food. Go with the flow, love it. I like this idea.
The in's & out's of knowing is always helpful. Thanks.
You’re spot. on about road rage here. I’ve lived and driven in Guadalajara/Zapopan for 4 years and have never once seen anything remotely resembling road rage.
For me, the iffiest part of driving here are the glorietas (roundabouts) many don’t seem to plan or know which exit to take and it’s quite common to have drivers cut across 2 or 3 lanes to make a desperate attempt to make their turn. Also, beware of drivers with their hazard lights on, it means that they are confused and might do something hazardous. Also something kind of weird is that it is cars that are insured…not drivers. Someone could have multiple accidents/violations and it doesn’t affect their insurance rates one bit. Bad drivers pay exactly the same as super safe drivers.
The hazard lights help a lot. Mostly they're used by drivers who inform that there is a slowdown in front or they're slow themselves. Makes it easy to make advance decisions as you can't really detect the speed of traffic in the blazing sun.
Good video. I'll definitely look forward to your future videos on this same topic. I'd like to see an overview of what it was like for you & your wife to learn to drive in Mexico--apprehensions, stuff you found the most confusing, stuff you found the most helpful, etc. Also navigating tips/tricks, learning the signage, etc.
Thank You Paul your blogs and now videos have been most helpful as we have moved to Tulum. Something that I have found while driving around is the use of 4 way flashers which you have to allow the car to do whatever it wants stopping, backing up, cross traffic, stop in the middle of the road/lane, cross over 3 lanes of traffic....lol...whatch out for the four way flashers as the car may make an unpredictable maneuver...lol
That's just the god-mode indicators
This video is so on point! We've been driving to and from all parts Mexico for 29 years, and now own a home in San Pedro Choula (where I unexpectedly keep flying over 2 topes). People are gracious on the roads, and reverse driving on ramps is common place. We do our best to stay on toll roads as better maintenance, but either way it's always an adventure... Cheers
I've watched a bunch of your videos and really appreciate your sound advice. And I'll confirm what you say in this one. Decades ago as a young man, I ended up in D.F. alone, rented a VW "Thing" and drove all the way to Pto. Escondido, Oaxaca and back, having never driven in another country. I think I probably made every gringo mistake possible and never had a problem, even in the multi-lane roundabouts in D.F. All because of the driving culture you mention here. Hope I get to buy you a beer someday for the great advice you give. :)
Wow. Sounds perfect to me! The concept of "flow" and keeping the left lane clear. Sounds like we could learn a lot from Mexico about driving here in the US. I did 1,700km by motorcycle in Costa Rica 15 years ago and loved how four vehicles would pull up to a 4-way "stop" and nobody actually stopped, they just flowed. It was a beautiful thing. I also noticed there were stray dogs everywhere and they were alert to vehicles. I guess Darwin has a bit of an edge on that front as well. Also appreciate your law enforcement experience/perspective/background on the topic. Oh, and cars had the right-of-way, which also made sense whether I was walking or driving (riding). Thanks for the great video.
I haven’t personally driven in Mexico, but have rode many times with people. Definitely a go with the flow type of driving culture. One thing you didn’t mention is how stop signs are often treated more like yield signs!
Thank you, Paul, for the great info. Appreciate you passing along your wisdom! Hasta Luego.
Something else that took me awhile to understand, but now seems normal, are left-turn lanes on the far right, or making left turns from a lateral or frontage road on the right. I've very seldom seen Mexican drivers holding up traffic behind them while waiting for a break in incoming traffic in order to turn left; most people pull into the shoulder to the right while awaiting an opportunity to turn left.
This one gets me too, I have a hard time remembering to go right so that I can turn left.
Great point. Crazy stuff - you have to know they are there or you will miss making a left turn.
Yup, still struggling with this. But, as long as you turn your head, you can adjust mid-way as Mexican drivers will yield if you're confident, show turn signal, etc.
Great vid...Fluid is a perfect word. Many "fun" adventures in cabs in S MX...Better than some carnival rides. O those speed bumps.. Fun to watch new drivers not understand they are there...I'm amazed at the skills of the MX drivers especially the taxi drivers....Seen a lot of accidents however on the 307....Gracias for this vid.
Good one Paul! Definitely an adjustment to drive down there! Like you said « go with the flow » and hope for the best! 🇲🇽
Thank you! I'll be driving to Mexico for the first time this October. I appreciate your advice!
You're welcome. Happy motoring. :)
Super helpful! I will be driving to Mexico in a few months from the US, so this was good info and the video that you.shot was really what i needed to see
Glad it was helpful! Have fun!
I couldn’t agree more. Life’s too short to be standing in line at grocery stores or banks if it’s avoidable. I usually do my shopping around 9-10 pm on weekdays. Thanks for this video Paul.
Thanks for this informative and entertaining video. I have only driven on the Oaxaca coast where there are hundreds of topes (I can confirm that many are unmarked). My tip: follow behind another vehicle. When the car in front bounces over a tope, slow down for your turn. I have been a passenger in many parts of Mexico. My observation was that the "rules of the road" (especially lane markers) are actually friendly suggestions. Road rage? I don't know about QR - but honking is constant in Mexico City. After a week there I feel like I am hearing honking in my dreams (just like after a week in Jalisco I start hearing the oom pa pa of a tuba in my sleep). I am not sure if they are raging or what - but there is a lot of honking. I see Mexicans as the friendliest people around - in person - but not inclined to give the right of way when behind the wheel. One more tip - if you are a pedestrian - RUN! There is a reason the "walk" sign is a running man. And watch for bikes, scooters and cars that simply do not stop despite the fact they had a red light. Strangely enough, drivers actually stop for pedestrians in Merida and Queretaro. But I still recommend running no matter where you want to cross the road.
This was absolutely hilarious, so well done Mr. Serpentine, terrific sense of humor, plus still informative! "It was very pleasurable"
Thanks, Brian.
Love the videos always informative. My husband and I are thinking of moving to Mexico when we retire videos like yours are helping us decide
Start learning Spanish. It WILL pay off.
Thanks mate, I love your practical tips.
Looking forward to being a pedestrian in mid-size cities in Mexico. With focus on the congested areas!!! One of my favorite parts is the left hand turn from the right side. It makes so much sense. The glorietas are cool -but then again I’ve never driven around them in CDMX or Guadalajara.
It amused me to hear you talk about aggressive driving in the U.S. I am from Germany and find the driving so very relaxed here in the U.S. as compared to Germany :)
You're absolutely right..... There is no conflict on the road here. What I do notice is that almost nobody will let you get in front of them in a situation where roads merge.... You know you expect a zipper kind of arrangement, but usually people don't play along. I do, however, and one cop at a checkpoint actually gave me kudos for it 🙂
This was the biggest help ever in Mexico thankyou
I plan on driving around Mexico soon. Any and all tips are so appreciated.
Happy motoring!
great info, gracias!
That was helpful. Thank you.
I wish road rage wasn't a thing where I live... but hey the story about backing up the off ramp is PERFECT! Thanks so much!!
I really enjoy your vids and attitude..thank you!
Amazing explanation about traffic, everything is true QRoo Paul,i wish i saw this video before. Now i live in CDMX and i compare the driving here like an "ANT WAY". they never stop about nothing, i mean the other day i saw a traffic accident and they just skip the accident using a very small part WAY out of the route, that action was so natural.... in silence, no horn, everything peacefully .They're just keeping the route flow. JUST LIKE ANTS.
This is the best tutorial out there. I personally prefer Mexico driving to America driving. I feel as crazy as it looks, it works better.
Another excellent video, thx for the valuable info! I commented, "something is different about you, from your earlier videos." I guess it sounded like I was analyzing you, so I edited my comment, I just want to say you're a terrific guy! I appreciate you taking the time to send me a humble & grateful reply.
I don't notice any difference actually. I make these videos because I enjoy helping people. I also enjoy sarcastic humor from time to time, so there is no doubt that pops up here and there in my videos as well.
That was just delightful! That tracks absolutely with my own experience. I have invented my own term for dealing with aggressive but not road rage level driving here. I call it ‘Mexicoing my way through’. The unwritten rule is if you want in, you must push in. Also, they do honk their horns in Mexico City. And you take your life in your hands trying to drive in Tijuana. It’s the Mexican New York
I have more than 100,000km on my motorcycles on Mexican roads. I agree with everything you said. Particularly topes. MOST are not marked and many never were
I didn’t have a car but road taxis and the colectivo and was impressed by the driving culture. It’s almost like a dance with the vehicles.
Great info here. My mother always called the people who stayed left and wouldn't move as "Left lane police." haha. And no, many topes aren't marked. Agree, no road rage here, it's wonderful! Horns are used as they should be, as a warning. - Anne
Specially when crossing big intersections at night... which can be annoying if you live next to one T_T. send help.
you're right topes signs are not always there and also
some signs are right on the topes and some before the topes.
🤪😜🤪😜
so when thinking topes will be on 20
feet ahead, you're right on them.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Spot on. Excellent video
Videos like this one are why I subscribe to your channel. Plus, you can be a funny guy, when you're having a good time...
Thanks, Patrick.
Very good tips !!
HA! Almost like the driving when I was stationed in Italy.....EXACTLY like when I drove in Kuwait!
Love it!
That's absolutely amazing about not having road rage over there. I'm in Canada and it's very bad just like you hear in the U.S.
Hearing this about Mexico has me quite surprised, I never would have thought.
They are generally pretty patient. The exception being Mexico City. :)
Kind of like Alabama. My friend looked at me in shock when I honked at someone while I was visiting. But in Mexico, there were aggressive drivers and the local transportation "carritos" were always laying on their horns.
Great content, thanks for posting🙂
Thanks for watching!
Amazing advice really appreciate this
Spot-on. Thank you.
Drove into Mexico in 2003. First international drive for me. It's useful to know the rules of the road.
An other thing..it is very common for lanes not to be marked, so a lot of times you got to figure out where your lane is..the best thing is to follow the ones ahead of you, and if none's ahead...hahaha good luck!! I drive in both countries all the time..and yes be kind, you never know whose gonna draw a gun out if you show the bad finger..and I tell you brother..they will use it. Just be kool and you be alright. Thanks paul, I love your channel.
Nice video, the only thing I would say is officially the left lane in Mexico is only a passing lane. If there are two lanes, you should always stay to the right and only use the number 1 lane if you are passing someone in front of you. In practice though all that is really going to happen is someone is going to flash their lights at you.
Props to anyone that keeps to the right except while passing! Bravo
Great vid Paul 👌 👍
Ya im nervous about driving in Mexico 😆
I work for the government here in Canada n drive for a living n have taken defensive driving courses. I have my class 3 n motorcycle license.
Be aware of your surroundings at all time calm n courteous cautious ⚠️ 👌 should be ok. Drive according to road conditions:
Update been driving 10 months here n everytime you get behind the wheel is an adventure it's truly like the wild west driving
N everything is just a suggestion fully alert at all times n just go with the flow not one issue yet 😊✌️
haha, your description pretty much works EVERYWHERE in the "other" world. I am in BZ now, speed bumps - big ones) are frequent before and after bus stops, very clever. You don't ignore a group of bus passengers trying to catch or leave a bus. The rest in your video is excellent too.
He is right. Thanks for sharing
Oh my gosh Paul we have been living in Puerto Morelos since May and this video is 100% true! I was laughing because I have seen all those things here and I learned Tope too 😮. Great video
WOW..You're absolutely right, we need a second video..
I have a part two planned for this. I just don't like the videos to get too long.
Love this Funny and Wise video!
Glad you liked it!
Freaking awesome video! Thanks!
Love your channel brother!
Thanks!
Amazing and accurate video Paul! I certainly don’t miss the road rage :)
great vid...
This is 100% accurate! 💯😁
This is the best advice I’ve ever seen on driving Mexico. Totally brilliant. But there again I love the magic third lane, the absence of road rage and my idiot button. When I’m going to do something stupid I hit the four way flasher and cars flow around me when I stop suddenly for a roadside attraction. Brilliant. Driving Mexican roads requires attention but is much easier than dealing with the foaming raging aggressors in the US.
Excellent video.👍
Awesome video. Very informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you SO much for this video! I just got a car and have been studying driving in Yucatán by what the uber drivers do. It's not as scary as I thought it would be, but there are some definite nuances... like left turn signal can mean "go around me" and not "I'm turning left." This is a bad one to misunderstand. I'm taking a driving course next week with the hopes of getting my driver's license.
Great video
Thank you for your video
Im from Scotland so I had the challenge of driving on the other side of the road and my first experience of driving being Mexico City.
Im doing my biggest drive next week cdmx to merida with a stop in Ciudad del Carmen.
Now Im used to Mexican roads I enjoy driving here!
Excellent observations! The one case of road rage that I see is common is if you're at a red light with a taxi behind you, if you don't start moving a millisecond the light turns green, you'll get a beep :) But yeah it's amazing how everything just sort of works.
I wish more countries would adopt the European system of having the yellow light come on with the red light before the green. When you see both together you know that the light will turn green in a few seconds.
Great! Thank you Paul!
My pleasure!
You also should mention the motorcycle courier vehicles in the larger cities. These are usually speeding guys who split lanes and pass through even the tiniest breaks in half-lanes. I was in a wreck in Guadalajara while changing lanes and unaware a speeding mail courier was passing on my left in a split lane
This is an excellent video and one of the most important topics. I love to drive in Mexico for the reasons QRP enumerates. Go with the flow. In Queretaro I once got stuck on the highway, 2 men pulled over and fixed my car. Why? I looked like I needed help. That's Mexico.
Me and another guy I didn’t know did that for a Mexican family stuck in the mall parking lot with a broke down van in the SE US about a year ago. Ended up just being the starter relay but I had to take him to the Autozone first to test the battery because he was thinking it was dead.
Thank you!
Great video 😊, thanks! My husband, who drove all over the South states of US, had a hard times with the "p..che topes" because he is very cautious about his vehicles; you definitely find those UNMARKED topes everywhere, particularly near or within small towns. Now he developed a habit: not familiar with the road, follow with safe distance someone and keep eye when their car bounces on the road ... Tope in front of you.
Also, you are absolutely correct, no road rage here, if you get angry 😡 and honk your horn, they will look at you as a rude lunatic... Culture diving , that's all.
, we are also cautious , we do not know who is driving the other car, may be a bad guy.
@@canalsmt3869 absolutely!
Thanks for this! You didn't mention how they pull to the right to turn left and that left turn signals sometimes just means it's ok to pass. 😀
Good videos for newbies. I will share for sure. I've been driving in Mexico for 50 years. Mostly for the Baja off road races. Plus driving for 4 years from San Diego, California to Del Cabo. No accidents . Hit 4 cows. Kept going. Lol. I was in a big truck. Lost 3 mirrors...other than that all good What fun times!!🏁🏁🏁
4 cows? Wow. I'm glad you weren't hurt.
@@qroo We were traveling about 20 mph...doing a radio check with a race car in mountains between Cabo and Todo Santos. They came out of the bushes...Cows crapped all over the windshield on impact...my truck had a huge steel bumper with winch...broke the night LED lights...all good. Had many many close calls over the years.
I'm from the US and my wife is from Mexico we have driven to and in Mexico a lot this video is spot on. I will say that the only place I've witnessed road rage is in Mexico City and more than once, my wife refuses to drive there. They do tend to drive more aggressive.
So true about driving culture. Here, Asian immigrants are not 'bad drivers' per se, many are even better than local drivers but they drive in ways locals would never dream of. Their driving culture is so different. My daughter just passed her test, I advised her: "caution, caution, caution, and drive with consistency"
Juts discovered this channel, looks interesting. Looking forward to watching more videos.
Welcome!
Very well explained. You have that beautiful culture down. I prefer driving in Mexico, well maybe. At least people in Mexico won’t wreck their new Mercedes, just to prove they had the “Right of Way”
We almost got killed in Mexico. Crazy. An 18 wheeler passing another 18 wheeler in a two lane highway. It’s like the passing driver didn’t care on oncoming traffic. Horrendous. I still get the chills when I remember.
Yep. That's typical driving in Mexico. I've been passed many times by semis and buses on narrow 2 lane rural highways.
I drove the 95D at insane speeds, the cops just watch you go by. I speed in the left lane, set my flasher to the left when I want to pass someone and they move right away! Be agressive and you’ll be fine, if you’re not a great driver, don’t try it. THIS IS A REAL FREE COUNTRY and $20 usd takes care of everything. ❤ Mexico
Also, be aware not everybody uses headlights at night. It is not unusual in more rural areas to encounter tucks & cars driving by the stars and the moon.
They love to drive everywhere with their high beams turned up. I try not to drive at night if I can avoid it.
SO TRUE!!!!! I wish it was a little more like that here in the USA and they do everything possible to avoid a crash.
Great tips here Paul. A few years ago a bunch of friends of mine and I went to the Ensenada Beerfest and we entered Mexico 🇲🇽 through Tecate.
I almost ran a stop sign 🛑- that was literally nailed to a tree 🌳🤨
If you like a little bit of adrenaline rush, go drive in Monterrey, it will be fun...
Basically, this is how I already drive; especially in the country. Mi espousa needs to learn this before we get there!!
Haha