Driving in Juarez, Mexico

Driving without Mexican auto insurance is not a good idea.

Although many American auto policies will pay claims in the “free trade zone” (roughly 15 miles into Mexico) that does not mean that you are legally insured to drive in Mexico. Only a policy carried by a Mexican insurance carrier will be considered a valid policy by Mexican authorities. Without a Mexican insurance policy you could be arrested and have your car impounded in even a minor accident. Should you be involved in a serious accident without a Mexican insurance policy, the consequences are much more severe. This point is lost on thousands of drivers who feel secure because their US agent has told them they are “covered” in the free trade zone. Being covered and being legal are two different matters.

Hundreds of Americans drive in Juarez every day without Mexican insurance. Many of them come to drink and enjoy the city’s robust nightlife. But the party will be over the day they have an accident involving serious property damage or injuries. The Mexican police are not going to release a foreign traveler until the matter is settled, because that person might decide to skip the country and just never come back. Believe those who think they know better at your own peril. I’ve just given you the facts. Here is another thing to remember: if you are found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, any insurance policy you may have—American or Mexican—is considered null and void in Mexico.

Once you have Mexican auto insurance, remember the following tips:

• Go slow but flow with traffic. Your only goal when driving in Mexico is to avoid an accident. If you have aggressive driving habits, then I would suggest you just pretend to be an angel in training for the period of time you are in Mexico—especially when you encounter aggressive drivers here.
• Be constantly on the lookout for pedestrians. Most Americans are simply not accustomed to the enormous number of pedestrians and non-typical vehicles encountered in Juárez. A child, old person with a walker, a woman carrying a baby, or a man pulling a wagon with a donkey can pop out from anywhere at any time.
• If you cannot see, creep forward slowly at intersections. One of the most unsettling things you will first encounter driving in Juarez is the way people will pull the front of their cars into a street so they can see around the parallel parked cars. You will also have to do so. Just do it carefully.
• Whatever you do, if making a right or left hand turn, do not frantically step on the gas once you are clear to get into the stream of rapidly oncoming traffic. Take another second to look in the direction you are going to see if a pedestrian has stepped into your path, because during the day time there is good chance one has…

It was not my intention to make it sound like a miserable experience driving Juarez, because it’s not. It’s just that being in a foreign country throws a whole new dimension into the risks of day-to-day driving. Be smart: don’t drink and drive and get Mexican insurance before you drive in Juarez, Mexico.