Mexico Guide
Getting around
By car
Getting your car into Mexico (see "By car") is just the beginning of your problems. Although most people who venture in by car both enjoy their trip and get out again with no more than minor incidents, driving in Mexico does require a good deal of care and concentration, and almost inevitably involves at least one brush with bureaucracy or the law.
Renting a car in Mexico – especially if done with a short, specific itinerary in mind – avoids many problems and is often an extremely good way of seeing quickly a small area that would take days to explore using public transport. There are any number of competing agencies in all the tourist resorts and major cities; the local operations usually charge less than the well-known names. Always check rates carefully to make sure they include insurance, tax and the mileage you need. Daily rates with unlimited mileage start around US$50/£30; weekly rates usually cost the same as six days. In some resorts mopeds and motorbikes are also available for short distances, but most of the large, international companies don't deal with them because of the high frequency of accidents.
Drivers from Australia, Canada, most European countries, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the US will find that their licences are valid in Mexico, though an international licence (available from the motoring organizations) can be useful, especially if your domestic one has no photo on it. You are required to have all your documents with you when driving. Insurance is not compulsory, but you'd be foolhardy not to get some sort of policy (see "By car" for more on motor insurance).
The government oil company, Pemex, has a monopoly and sells two types of fuel: Premium (leaded) and Magna Sin (unleaded), both of which cost slightly more than regular unleaded north of the border, at about US$2.50 per US gallon. Magna is increasingly available, in response to howls of outrage from US motorists who have ruined their engines using Premium.
Mexican roads and traffic are your chief worries. Traffic circulates on the right, and the normal speed limit is 40kph (25mph) in built-up areas, 70kph (43mph) in open country and 110kph (68mph) on the freeway. Some of the new highways are excellent, and the toll (cuota) superhighways are better still, though extremely expensive to drive on. Away from the major population centres, however, roads are often narrow, winding and potholed, with livestock wandering across at unexpected moments. Get out of the way of Mexican bus and truck drivers – if you signal left to them on a stretch of open road, it means it's clear to overtake. Every town and village limits the speed of through traffic with a series of topes (concrete or metal speed bumps) across the road. Look out for the warning signs and take them seriously; the bumps are often huge. Most people suggest that you should never drive at night (and not just for road safety reasons) – sound advice, even if not always practical. Any good road map should provide details of the more common symbols used on Mexican road signs, and SECTUR has a pamphlet on driving in Mexico in which they're also featured. One convention of note: the first driver to flash their lights at a junction, or where only one vehicle can pass, has the right of way – you're not being invited to go first.
Most large towns have extensive one-way systems. Traffic direction is often poorly marked (look for small arrows affixed to lampposts), though this is less of a problem than it sounds: simply note the direction in which the parked cars, if not the moving cars, are facing.
Parking in cities is another hassle – the restrictions are complicated and foreigners are easy pickings for traffic police, who usually remove one or both plates in lieu of a ticket (retrieving them can be an expensive and time-consuming business). Since theft is also a real threat, you'll usually have to pay extra for a hotel with secure parking. You may well also have to fork out over on-the-spot "fines" for traffic offences (real or concocted). In Mexico City, residents' cars are banned from driving on one day of every week, determined by their licence number: the ban also applies to foreign cars, but rented vehicles are exempt.
Unless your car is a basic-model VW, Ford or Dodge (all of which are manufactured in Mexico), spare parts are expensive and hard to come by – bring a basic spares kit. Tyres in particular suffer on burning-hot Mexican roads, so you should carry at least one good spare. Roadside vulcanizadoras and llanteros can do temporary repairs; new tyres are expensive, but remoulds aren't a good idea on hot roads at high speed. If you have a breakdown on any highway between 8am and 8pm, there is a free mechanic service known as the Ángeles Verdes (Green Angels). As well as patrolling major routes looking for beleaguered motorists, they can be reached by phone on 
078 or 01-800/987-8224, or by email at 
angelesverdes@sectur.gob.mx, and they speak English.
Should you have a minor accident, try to come to some arrangement with the other party – involving the police will only make matters worse, and Mexican drivers will be just as anxious to avoid doing so. If you witness an accident, you may want to consider the gravity of the situation before getting involved. Witnesses can be locked up along with those directly implicated to prevent them from leaving before the case comes up – so consider if your involvement is necessary to serve justice. In a serious incident, contact your consulate and your Mexican insurance company as soon as possible.
For more detailed advice on driving in Mexico, the Association for Safe International Road Travel produce a national report on Mexico, which can be downloaded for US$25 from their website, 
www.asirt.org .