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Los Cabos’ Head of Public Safety, Ruseel Rodas Moreno, announced that the area would be cracking down on cell phone use while driving. Instead of warnings or hesitancy to stop violators, police are instructed to have zero tolerance, ticketing anyone on Los Cabos streets that’s breaking the law.
Moreno explained, “The penalties for using cell phones and electronic devices are one of the highest due to their direct correlation with accidents in the area. Drivers must realize that they are not only putting themselves at risk, but also others on the road – that is why these fines cannot be forgiven.” He is supported by several officials, all of whom want to make Los Cabos a safer place for all.
As far back as May of 2019, Los Cabos announced new fines for the use of cell phones and other electronic devices. They revisited amounts in 2021 and announced more efforts to enforce safe driving practices. Penalties at the time were set to amounts up to $8400 pesos, an amount equivalent to over $400 USD. The whole initiative was launched in hopes to reduce the number of traffic accidents in the area, of which cell phone use was a root cause.
Like most things, the pandemic put a halt to travel both internationally and domestically, reducing the amount of traffic on the roads. Now that Los Cabos citizens are back to work and travelers are pouring in to visit, officials are hard at work in an attempt to reduce dangers and increase fluidity while on the road. Their motivation was sparked by the increase in traffic accidents, which are back up to an all-time high as restrictions loosen and Covid-19 becomes more of a thing of the past.
In February, traffic accidents were up a reported 80%, most taking place in the four-lane Tourist Corridor that leads to Los Cabos’ most popular beachfront resorts. Reducing traffic accidents and making Los Cabos’ roads more manageable has been a big point on the agenda of the cities to-do list, and officials are moving swiftly to see that things start to shift. Part of their goal involves reducing traffic while the others increase penalties and awareness.
Just a week ago, Los Cabos’ mayor Oscar Leggs Castro announced the increase of fines for drivers that go over the speed limit. The area’s Department of Transportation also released plans to improve public transportation in several areas, aiming to reduce the amount of traffic and promote alternative means of transportation like busses and bikes. This goes along with Los Cabos’ efforts to sustain their clean environment and encourage eco-friendly tourism to maintain its beauty.
During high season, traffic in the tourist corridor has been known to get jammed often, with some tourists having to take off to the airport 5 hours before their flight to make sure they can make it on board. It’s one of the area’s only ways to access popular resorts, which is where several citizens work, and most tourists visit. The high concentration of people in one area has led to issues with driving and parking, though that won’t be the case for long.
Officials hope that by raising fines and enforcing them more strictly, both citizens and travelers will be more cautious on the road and drive consciously. Travelers coming from the U.S. will have to pay their traffic fines at the nearest Police Department Office. All laws in Mexico apply to both nationals and foreigners, so all tourists should keep that in mind when planning their beachbound vacation.