RULES AND REGULATIONS

Here are some of the rules and regulations that you should take notice of before you start driving in Mexico:

In Mexico, they drive on the right-hand side of the road and over take on the left.

• The legal driving age is 18.

• Using a seatbelt is mandatory for all occupants of a vehicle.

• Drink driving – driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is illegal. The legal limit of blood alcohol content is 0.08%.

• The use of mobile devices without a hands-free system is prohibited while driving in Mexico.

• An oncoming vehicle flashing its headlights is a warning for you to slow down. This could be because you are both approaching a narrow bridge or place on the road. The custom is that the first vehicle to flash has the right of way and the other must yield. Or he’s telling you there’s something going on up ahead that you need to be aware of. If you are approaching a slow-moving vehicle, it is also customary for the slower vehicle to drive on the shoulder to let you pass. In a village with a narrow street, if two cars are approaching each other, sometimes one car will pull over and douse its lights so you know you have the right to pass.

• If the car in front of you puts on the left-hand signal, it could mean: he is turning left, he is telling you it is okay to pass him, he is going into the right lateral road to turn left, he simply forgot to turn it off. If in doubt, do not pass.

• Take caution if you are driving in Mexico at night. Mexico is a free-range country and animals tend to roam freely in the Mexican countryside and at night they are extremely hard to see. Also, normally in Mexico the roads are not well lit and can tend to have pot holes which, in the night, are hard to see and can cause damage.

• When approaching towns and cities beware of the Topes (speed bumps). You will need to immediately slow down when you see a sign with a bump on it. Sometimes the signs are hard to see and sometimes they aren’t there at all.

SPEED LIMITS

These are the standard legal limits when driving in Mexico, but may sometimes vary as communicated by the road signs.

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IN URBAN AREAS                                            40 km/h

ON OPEN ROADS                                           80 km/h

MOTORWAYS / HIGHWAYS                         100 – 110 km/h