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The Tourism Corridor in Los Cabos is often slammed with traffic, especially during high season. More traffic pouring in mixed with common unsafe driving practices has led to increases in the number of accidents in Los Cabos, leaving officials to take charge. Even if no cops are around to reinforce traffic laws, photo radars can do the job, ticketing those who are driving over the speed limit.
The Tourist Corridor is packed with traffic including taxi and shuttle services as well as large commercial trucks delivering goods. Due to the devastating number of accidents in the area, officials have announced that they will enforce the use of photo radar to catch and ticket those who drive over the speed limit. This, in addition to an increase in the number of on-duty police officers monitoring and enforcing traffic laws will soon take place in Los Cabos, especially during high season which sees traffic increases that cause long delays.
With the growing number of visitors pouring into Los Cabos, dangers on the road have reached an all-time high. Common causes of traffic accidents include speeding, cell phone use while driving, and driving while intoxicated. Los Cabos authorities have cracked down on a majority of these, equipping restaurants with breathalyzers and reinforcing ticketing for cell phone use while driving.
Included in the law forbidding the use of cell phones while driving is the officer’s right to ask for your cell phone to see the timestamp of last usage. To enforce the laws dealing with driving while intoxicated, officials have added checkpoints during busy holidays and restaurants using breathalyzers require a legal alcohol level before returning vehicles from valet. In the case that owners are over the legal limit, the restaurant will call an Uber or taxi service to take guests to their hotel free of charge.
With majority of visitors pouring in from the US and Canada – some are left wondering how Mexico’s legislation will affect them. Both Americans and Canadians are subject to fines and penalties for breaking the law in Mexico. All the same rules apply to other nationalities and breaking the law will result in ticketing or jail time.
Among the things that drivers should watch out for are speeding, alcohol use, cellphone use, licenses and registration of driver and vehicle, required minimum liability insurance, and the use of a seatbelt while driving. While photo radars are only there to check for speed, officers are on the lookout for risky behavior and will be enforcing laws to keep drivers safe.
During a traffic stop, American travelers can expect a similar process to U.S. traffic stops. Police will ask for license and registration and let drivers know the reason for being stopped. If it’s a routine traffic stop, drivers are encouraged to cooperate and respect authorities. However, if drivers suspect that they’re being wrongfully accused or being bribed by a police officer, they should request an official citation, never leave their car, and ask for their commander’s name and phone number.
International visitors still have rights, most of which pertain to their ability to obtain an interpreter and speak to an attorney in Mexico. Both the U.S. and Canada have strong ties with Mexico, so any who break the law will likely be lawfully protected if they receive a ticket or are arrested during their stay. Since the laws in Mexico apply to international travelers, it’s recommended to keep up with laws and know what is and is not acceptable when driving through the streets of Los Cabos in a personal or rental vehicle.