Your international road trip through Mexico will be a fun, wild ride through a warm, exotic country. It’s the kind of scenic, eye-opening adventure that inspires travelogues and novels. It also will give you the convenience you love, taking your things with you in your own car without the hassle of flying internationally and checking bags.
Before you leave, you may want to purchase insurance specifically for your trip. Normal American car insurance policies won’t cover damage to your car or your liability in case of an accident.
The risks and consequences of driving in Mexico without insurance coverage are significant. Read on to learn the three reasons you should buy car insurance for your road trip.
1. Without Insurance, Your Car Can Be Impounded After an Accident.
Mexican law requires all drivers to have proof of financial responsibility. In other words, even for a short trip, you’ll need to have some form of liability insurance to legally drive in Mexico. The liability insurance you do buy must be from a company licensed in Mexico or a company that partners with a Mexico-based insurer.
If you choose to skip this minor purchase and you experience a collision, your car will be immediately impounded. You won’t be able to get your car out of the impound lot until you pay damages to the other party involved and the impound fee.
2. Without Insurance, You Risk Going to Jail
Scary stories of foreign jails aren’t something you want to experience yourself. Countries like Mexico don’t offer the same legal protections as the United States. In addition to legal boundaries, unless you are a competent Spanish speaker, you may have trouble contacting a local attorney and paying for your release should you find yourself in a Mexican jail.
While this scenario may seem hyperbolic, you risk jail time if you drive into Mexico without basic liability insurance and cause a car accident that results in bodily harm.
3. Road Conditions Can Be Challenging, Even Treacherous.
As an American driver, you’re accustomed to well-lit streets, extensive signage, right-hand highway exits, and paved highways. In Mexico, you may not experience these commonalities of car travel.
Unlike the US, the Mexican government doesn’t maintain all roads, meaning many rural routes have large potholes. It’s not uncommon for these roads to be entirely without street lights or signage. Many highways in rural areas will also have open livestock grazing, where cattle roam freely on and across the road you’ll be driving on. All of these road conditions can put you at risk for damaging your vehicle.
Conditions aside, driving in a foreign country presents certain cultural differences that can make you susceptible to driver error.
For example, roads in Mexico use the “returno” system, instead of right-hand off-ramps. To exit a highway, you pause in the left hand turning lane, then make a U-turn and head to your destination. Mexican roads also feature many unmarked speed bumps, which you can accidentally hit at a high speed and damage your car.
Without appropriate coverage, car accidents can be very costly and even result in jail time. As you’re weighing the added expense of buying insurance for your trip, review these three reasons why you should protect yourself and your vehicle in Mexico.
It’s mandatory for American drivers in Mexico to have liability insurance. Great Northern Insurance Agency works with one of the most well-known, widely respected insurance companies in Mexico, Seguros Ana, to provide you with exceptional coverage during your South-of-the-Border road trip. When you purchase Mexico-based car insurance from us, you get the benefit of Seguros Ana’s 24-hour bilingual hotline and roadside assistance.
