Mexican Auto insurance

I've been to Mexico several times for vacation. I've enjoyed all the tips and have been able to see numerous parts of the pretty county. But, I never drive across the border. I drove across the border to Mexico a few times when I was in my 20's but I haven't done that in decades.  The last time I went was with some friends that wanted to go camping in Mexico.  I guess I had faith that they knew what they were doing so I grabbed some clothes and went along for the ride. We made it pretty far down the Baja Peninsula on that trip. There wasn’t much along the way but we found a pretty place to camp with an ocean view. It was a pretty desolate campground, other than the scorpions there wasn't much wandering around. The roads weren’t great, the bathrooms consisted of a hole in the ground. I’m not sure if we had an actual end route in mind but when we hit a patch of road that was so poorly maintained that the whole SUV shook we decided to turn back and head home.
Now, would I ever do that now? Probably not. As beautiful as Mexico can be traveling through the rural areas may not be the safest thing in the world. It was always a little off putting when you ran into the Mexican army holding high powered weapons. You never knew if they were going to let you by or request a “donation” for continuing down the road. Now, this was a long time ago and I have no idea if the roads down the peninsula are better. I’d imagine they are.
The lure of cheap beer, margaritas, tacos, chips and salsa on the beach definitely has an appeal. Rosarito is not that long a drive. Ensenada isn’t too much further and has really nice beaches and restaurants.  So, inevitably people are going to drive across the border and when you do you need to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage.
The first thing you need to know is that you have to buy Mexican Insurance.  I have people ask me all the time if they need it. They always seem to think there is some magic number of miles they can drive into Mexico and be fine under their regular auto insurance. The truth is that if you drive in Mexico without Mexican insurance you are basically driving illegally. Mexico doesn’t recognize American auto insurance companies. So, yes your insurance may still fix your car if you have an accident in Mexico. But, you may be responsible for getting that car across the border. You will be cited by the Mexican police if you hit another driver. You could go to jail if you get in an accident. So, buy the Mexican insurance. It is much cheaper to buy the insurance than deal with the hassle of not buying it. There are plenty of places online you can buy an insurance policy. Back in my day we had to stop at a place close to the border and buy it in person. Today it is so much easier. You can get a day’s worth of coverage, a weekend, a month or a year. You can cover your equipment on your vehicle, add drivers.
Spend the money and buy your insurance policy in advance. At least you won’t have to worry about the along the way. You can then focus on enjoying your drive though the Mexican countryside.  Always check to see if there are travel alerts for the areas you are traveling to. Mexico is a big country and has so many different areas. Some are safer than others so plan your trip accordingly. Additionally, buy some extra days of coverage. If you are planning a weekend buy a weeks worth of coverage. Just in case your car breaks down, or some other issue comes up and delays your return. Check the road conditions so that you can make sure that you make it to your destination. And, drive the speed limit. You don't want to get pulled over for a ticket. Have some cash handy if you do.  
If you have any questions about how your insurance works out of country give me a call. If you are ready to shop your auto insurance rates give me a call at 951-395-0754