Getting Comfortable Driving In Mexico

By Sara Wise
ExPats In Vallarta

When we settled in Puerto Vallarta over 5 years ago, I was nervous about driving here. First of all, I had not been driving regularly for over 4 years because we had been full-time living and cruising on our boat. Second, Mexico is a foreign country, I was not fluent in Spanish, and I did not understand the way Mexicans drive.

Since we did not have our car for the first few months, we took buses and taxis. During that time we watched how driving was done and generally where things were located. The most confusing thing was learning how to navigate the laterals (similar to service roads in the US). On a lot of the main streets laterals are used for buses, trucks, slower moving vehicles AND MAKING LEFT-HAND TURNS. Also, we watched the game of “leap frog” that the taxi drivers play at red lights. Say you are the first person stopped for a red light, and all of a sudden at taxi will come and jump in front of you. Seems to us that Mexicans are always late for meetings and appointments but when they get behind the wheel of a car they drive like race car drivers.

When we first brought our car here, we were extra cautious, checked maps prior to leaving our home, and drove with the flow of traffic, and tried to have someone else with us in the car to help navigate. It was a little nerve racking at first, but it really did not take long to become comfortable driving here.

Now after 5 years of living and driving here I drive all over Puerto Vallarta and I have even driven from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara and back in one day several times without my husband, just a girlfriend and myself. We both have Mexican driver’s licenses, which are easy to obtain, even with having to take the test that is in Spanish. You just bring along someone who speaks and reads Spanish and they can assist you. You need to carry proof of insurance, copies of vehicle title, etc in your car in case you are stopped.

We have noticed now that we have Mexican plated cars we don’t seem to be stopped any more, even at police or agricultural checkpoints on the highways. When we had our US plated cars they usually asked us a question or two (no big deal anyway) but now they just wave us on.

If you are moving here and bringing your car with you there is nothing at all to worry about. Maybe you have been down here before for a scouting trip or for a season so you already know how the traffic flows and turns left on the laterals. A couple of times at the beginning I would end up in the wrong lane trying to make a left turn and I just put my window down, stuck out my head and smiled; every time some nice person would stop and motion for me to go ahead. I still do that when I make driving mistakes or am waiting to enter on to a busy intersection. A smile gets you a long ways in any country.

While they still give tickets here for driving infractions, all considered it is a bit more informal driving here than in the US, for example. In fact, when we drive to the US (which we do regularly), my husband says we need to realize where we are because if we drive in the US like in Mexico, we could get 90 days in the electric chair.