Los Cabos Safer Than Ever After Huge Drop Announced In This Recurring Issue

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Last Updated 8 months ago

Travelers who like to get a feel for the safety conditions in a destination before going on vacation will have undoubtedly noticed the regular stream of reports of dangerous road conditions in and around Los Cabos over the past 6 months.

One of the most accident-filled areas at this time was the road between Los Cabos airport and the main destination. An area that has unfortunately seen a high level of fatalities in a short period of time.

On top of this, the two cities that make up Los Cabos haven’t been free of the problem of dangerous roads either.

While fatalities are much less common, most likely due to slower speeds and higher police presence, there have still been more collisions than what is acceptable.

Thankfully, the situation has improved drastically in a very short period, and Los Cabos is showing that it doesn’t take safety for granted.

Positive Change

One thing Mexico does very well as a nation is keeping good statistical records on thousands of metrics within the country.

And recently it was announced that January 2024 saw a 42.6% reduction in road traffic collisions throughout Los Cabos.

This is an almost unbelievable turnaround for the destination, and a close eye is being kept to see if February continues this trend towards an even higher level of road safety.

How This Has Been Achieved

While Mexico has a reputation for not being the most proactive nation when it comes to dealing with these types of issues, Los Cabos has repeatedly shown since the pandemic that it refuses to let problems grow to the point of being unmanageable.

Following that ethos of a proactive response to the problems it faces, the destination enacted huge initiatives over the past 6+ months to rectify the situation.

Police Presence

The first big move was to increase in a huge way the policing of the trans-peninsular highway, the main road from Los Cabos airport to the destination.

For this to be possible it meant drafting in the help of the highly respected Guardia Nacional (National Guard). A gendarmerie-style police unit in Mexico that was born from the pooling together of the Federal Police, Naval Police, and Military Police.

As far as policing goes in Mexico, the Guardia Nacional are the heavy hitters who have a reputation for doing things by the book and have the highest trust rating from both locals and travelers alike.

Tougher Enforcement

In the past, road traffic enforcement by the police in Los Cabos has been inconsistent. The application of sanctions and ticketing has been unpredictable and at times was seen as a pointless action.

With this latest campaign to improve road safety, sanctions have been heavily enforced.

This is possible thanks to a huge revamp over the past year of both the municipal and state police in Baja California Sur, which includes increased officer training and higher entrance requirements to join law enforcement.

It could also be presumed that the presence of the Guardia Nacional in highway policing has also raised the standards of other law enforcement departments, with the respected unit setting a big example regarding integrity.

Driver Awareness

Another move that authorities took to turn the situation around was by increasing driver awareness around the causes and effects of the increase in road traffic collisions.

Many Americans will be familiar with the almost endless cycle of PSA campaigns in the U.S. that have helped to reduce incidents of drunk driving and speeding.

Los Cabos has taken a leaf out of that book, and so far, it looks to be a successful direction that the authorities have taken, showing huge results that make the destination safer for both locals and travelers alike.