Driving to Mexico? Your auto insurance won’t cover you

If you live in the southwestern United States, chances are good that you have visited Mexico at one time or another. It has close proximity to south Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and has many popular tourist destinations. If you live in San Diego, a trip to Mexico is just minutes away. Thousands of Americans make such trips every day, and many, if not most of them, do so by car. What they may not realize, however, is that their auto insurance policy will probably not protect them if they drive the car into Mexico.

Mexican law, like those of most countries, varies tremendously from American law. When it comes to auto insurance coverage, Mexico requires that you be insured by a Mexican insurance company. In fact, failure to comply is a felony, punishable by time in jail. Making matters worse is the fact that under the law, you are presumed to be guilty unless you are proven innocent, quite the opposite of how things work in the United States. This means that if you are driving south of the border with only your domestic policy in effect and you get in an accident, you have a very good chance of paying for all of the damage to both vehicles yourself and spending time in a Mexican jail. 

That is probably not how you intend to spend your vacation.

What can you do if you are planning to take a driving trip south of the border? There are a number of options available to you. The American Automobile Association makes Mexican coverage available; if you are an AAA member, you might wish to check with them for details.

There are several companies within the United States that act as brokers for various Mexican companies that sell auto insurance. Once such company is Drivemex.com. Coverage for driving outside the country is more expensive than you might pay for domestic coverage; fees in the amount of $30 per day or so are not uncommon. Another site that may be able to help you is Mexpro.com. As with all vehicle coverage purchases, you should do a bit of research before buying in order to find the best coverage as well as the best price.

Driver should note that if an accident takes place and you are covered with a proper policy, you should file a claim while you are still in the country. The policies are valid only when you are in Mexico; once you leave the country you may no longer be permitted to file a claim. Also be aware that few Mexican insurance policies cover any sort of theft or vandalism.

Vacations to Mexico can be a lot of fun. There is much to see, much to do and the dollar goes farther there than it does at home or in Europe. If you live close to the border, it may be well worth your time to take a drive south to spend a few days in the sun. Before you go, make sure that you have adequate protection to cover your vehicle while you are there. The last thing you want to do with your vacation is spend it in jail.

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