BajaNomad

Vizcaino Speed Warning

Marc - 5-21-2019 at 12:37 PM

Going south on April 30 cruising along at about 80mph totally ignoring the posted speed limit. This would be about my 50th time through this stretch of Vizcaino without any problems.
BUSTED!! We got a very nice lecture from a Federal Cop. Seems he has been scraping up crash victims for to long. He told us 65mph will not get ticketed. Lesson learned. On the way back at 65 we actually passed by a cop.
I ran a red light in front of a cop Hermosillo a few years ago. Another nice guy. After he discovered we were lost we followed him out of town to Mex 16.
These two incidents are my only contact with police in Mexico in 40+ years.

Paco Facullo - 5-21-2019 at 12:44 PM

So Marc, how was it handled ? ie; written ticket, bribe or set free w/ warning ?

I always drive in baja with a radar detector , although I don't speed much except, some places have a 35 km speed limit and that's way too slow.

bajaguy - 5-21-2019 at 01:04 PM

They have been in that area for a long time, plenty of posts and plenty of warnings

We've only been stopped one time and that was...

John M - 5-21-2019 at 01:10 PM

in 1982 we wore working on a house at LaSalina. We had purchased a roof beam in Rosarito and had it sticking way out of the back of our pick-up - probably extended 8' beyond the back of the truck. A Federal Police stopped us, we were S/B on the free road - and of course we knew why - I had been too lazy to even put a little red flag on the back.

He explained that as in the states we just need red on the back. He went back to his cruiser - I figured to get his ticket book - but instead he fished around in the trunk and found a red shirt - we hammered it on the end of the beam and we were off with a nice greeting from the cop.

John M

David K - 5-21-2019 at 01:41 PM

There was a cop along the stretch between the eagle and Vizcaino last week.

I got caught by radar north of El Rosario in 2017, he let me off, I gave him a cold water, he let me try the radar gun, on a passing motorist, we are amigos now. I love Mexico!

pacificobob - 5-21-2019 at 02:58 PM

i find only one traffic rule needs to be observed in mexico.
DON'T DRIVE LIKE AN A-HOLE.

shari - 5-21-2019 at 04:42 PM

There are 2 places the Feds set up speed traps....one is at the entrance to Laguna Ojo de Liebre...usually set up after 8 in the morning and often in the afternoon they are at the entrance to the Ejido Benito Juarez just south of the lagoon entrance...it's an easy place for people to pull over...lots of space.

That stretch of highway between GN & Vizcaino is like the Bermuda Triange...an inordinate number of people die there....most dangerous part of the whole transpeninsular highway. Probably because it is straight and in the middle of the peninsula so lots of people are tired and checking their phones, putting music on, eating etc. and people trying to pass on the straight stretch.

Speed Trap??

bajaguy - 5-21-2019 at 05:52 PM

Not a "speed trap" if you are doing the speed limit......calling it a "speed trap" is like shooting yourself in the foot and blaming someone else

chumlee57 - 5-21-2019 at 08:04 PM

I kinda agree with bajaguy on this, when I'm cruising mex 1 I try and drop my type A stateside driving personality. One of the reasons mexico suits me is that as soon as I cross the bordr my whole octive level goes down, I'm on vacation, I stop rushing. Stuff happens on mex 1, don't push it. The area between GN and Vizciano, especially the hilly dunes south of GN have always been a place to be extra careful. One time after driving through and seeing what looked like a cop with a radar gun, we spent the night at Don Eddies ( when he was running the place ) we told him about the cop with a radar gun, he said it was probably a hair dryer :) chistoso

BajaBlanca - 5-22-2019 at 02:27 AM

a hair dryer hahahaha :biggrin:


It is a speed trap only in that it is really oh so easy to lift the eyes away from the speedometer!


Go to England where there are cameras everywhere. and I mean EVERYWHERE, and they say the ticket is in the mail before y:biggrin: reach the next stop sign. ouch.

Les got his first federal cop warning on the stretch between GN and Vizcaino. The guy was so polite and did ask if it was the first time. He said the next time would bring about a ticket.

mtgoat666 - 5-22-2019 at 07:23 AM

That stretch of highway is dangerous. Twice on that stretch i have come upon wrecks with dead bodies on the ground awaiting collection. And as i cruise it at 69 mph i am always passed by fools speeding on a mission to die.

shari - 5-22-2019 at 07:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Not a "speed trap" if you are doing the speed limit......calling it a "speed trap" is like shooting yourself in the foot and blaming someone else


where they set up traps people who speed so I figure calling it a speed trap is fine and I support it....I drive slow.

bajaguy - 5-22-2019 at 07:39 AM

Poor driving - yes

Long, straight highway segments are "usually" the most dangerous as drivers get lulled into a false sense of comfort and do not pay attention (or doze off). When I was working we had more (and more fatal) accidents on a straight stretch of Interstate 80 between milepost 107 and 138 even before texting was "invented"

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
People's poor driving is what is dangerous. That stretch of straight, level highway is maybe the safest since leaving San Quintín where the highway narrows to just 19 ft. wide. Alcohol and texting may be two factors for accidents along here?


Desertbull - 5-22-2019 at 07:52 AM

The speed limit thru that section of Mex Hwy 1 is 48 MPH, 80 KPH.

The Federales have been pretty lenient, but they do write a lot of tickets through there.

Going 80 mph and dropping a wheel 14 inches off the pavement into the soft sand will turn your vehicle into a rolled burrito. Seen it a lot in the past right there.

Drive safe.

John Harper - 5-22-2019 at 08:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Exactly! Blaming the highway for one's poor driving is like blaming a gun for its trigger being pulled! They are both tools used by humans. People need to responsible for what they do.


No worry about a speed trap if you're not speeding.

John

willardguy - 5-22-2019 at 08:36 AM

yeah who doesn't drive 48 mph?

Marc - 5-22-2019 at 01:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo  
So Marc, how was it handled ? ie; written ticket, bribe or set free w/ warning ?

I always drive in baja with a radar detector , although I don't speed much except, some places have a 35 km speed limit and that's way too slow.


He showed us a printout of fines corresponding to the violation. We paid directly to the officer. Like I said, we were guilty so it's not exactly mordida as far I am concerned. Cost me $150 USD. No big deal.

BajaBlanca - 5-22-2019 at 09:59 PM

Our friend Ernesto got a ticket there and he had to pay $210 dollars!

He is Mexican and he was guilty but OUCH.

Rossman - 5-23-2019 at 05:54 AM

I have been stopped three times on that stretch between GN and Viz. All three times I was over the limit and twice it was significantly over. In general the federales were quite professional. One took a good bit of time explaining the difference between MPH and KPH. The other two appeared to ready to write a ticket but once they realized I live in the area, was not going to pay him on scene, and a trip to the station to deal with it was not that much of an inconvenience, they sent me on my way. I will say that they target gringos and especially ones with fully loaded cars and trucks heading south. A profile of someone needing to be some place later that day and most likely to handle it quickly and with the cash to do so.

JoeJustJoe - 5-23-2019 at 07:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marc  


He showed us a printout of fines corresponding to the violation. We paid directly to the officer. Like I said, we were guilty so it's not exactly mordida as far I am concerned. Cost me $150 USD. No big deal.


It's nice to see someone actually admit they paid a bribe to a Mexican cop, because usually about 90% of members of Baja forums, blogs, and group sites on social media, usually claim they stood up to some corrupt Mexican cop, but you know that can't be true, because Mexican cops would quit asking for bribes if everybody stood up to them.

But it does seems like you're rationalizing the Mexican cops behavior just because you were actually speeding and he had a print out of fines. Once the Mexican cop starting hinting for a mordida, he is corrupt, and he is breaking a bigger law than you.

I never advise anyone to not pay or pay a bribe to a corrupt Mexican cop, but I will say this, if you decide you will pay a bribe, at least negotiate the mordida. For a traffic infraction, I would probably negotiate and bargain the mordida, down to $40 dollars, and chances are he will take the bribe. For a DUI, maybe $200 to $500 max, if you really have been drinking, and had a few shots.

It could have been worse, if you were back in the US, on a highway, and a Highway Patrol, officer sitting in his car catches you in a speed trap, and your ticket ends up costing $400 dollars with fine and traffic school.

John Harper - 5-23-2019 at 08:24 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marc  
Cost me $150 USD. No big deal.


I guess. Pretty pricey right foot.

John

mtgoat666 - 5-23-2019 at 08:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Marc  
Cost me $150 USD. No big deal.


Just pocket change, eh? Let’s call you richie rich!

Lee - 5-23-2019 at 10:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  

The Baja highway is overall dangerous south of San Quintin where it is 19' wide with no shoulders. What I said is that stretch of the dangerous highway (beyond the eagle) is the safest because it is straight, and level, unlike many other parts. You didn't edit out all of my post: "maybe the safest since..."


Straight, hilly, level, and still dangerous. Not safest, or safer.

Any vehicle going off the shoulder there at 50 mph+ will be in serious trouble.

Speeding on this stretch is high risk. Let's be careful.


elgatoloco - 5-23-2019 at 07:20 PM

Many great memories of that straight stretch of road including an early foggy morning too close for comfort encounter with a big ass longhorn steer. Inches from disaster but somehow made it.:saint:

I heard from a local once that the Highway patrol closes shop at 5:00 PM. Not sure if that is true but I have never seen radar in the late afternoon early evening. Just saying. :dudette:

Lee - 5-23-2019 at 08:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by elgatoloco  
Many great memories of that straight stretch of road including an early foggy morning too close for comfort encounter with a big ass longhorn steer. Inches from disaster but somehow made it.:saint:


Use to leave GN in the dark going South. One morning miles out of town, must have been one of those longhorns got hit -- the blood splatter was a V-shape, the steer exploded meters down the road. Looked like a war zone. I slowed to a crawl freaking out. Stopped driving in the dark.

Last time I drove that road, I passed a semi (he saw me) that drifted into my lane which would have been inches away. Nice.

chumlee57 - 5-23-2019 at 08:20 PM

let's face it, anyone with any common sense is relaxed and drinking a few cervezas at 6 - 7 pm, even n the summer. I really hope this forum lightens up a little, get back to info that helps a traveler. both sides of an isle are out of control here...remember we are all the same species, working together for the greater good has become a lost art, que lastima

mtgoat666 - 5-23-2019 at 09:52 PM

LIVE FAST
DIE YOUNG

[Edited on 5-24-2019 by mtgoat666]

vacaenbaja - 5-24-2019 at 02:33 PM

What a lot of people fail to keep in mind Is that on many parts, ESPECIALLY the flat land areas the highway is actually elevated well above the surrounding off road area. When you come off the side of the road unplanned there may be no flat emergency area just a steep sloping berm that will send you into a flying roll at speed off the road. That's were the road becomes deadly.

Marc - 5-25-2019 at 10:52 AM

I posted this to warn folks to slow down in this stretch of highway that because of its nature encourages speeding. The cop said no stops would be made for up to 65 MPH. (not Kilometers) He joked that some speeders try to get out of fines by saying that they mistook 80K as 80MPH. Good try.
BTW I would bet that some of the remarks here are from those who have never driven south of Ensenada.

Mulege Canuck - 5-27-2019 at 08:13 AM

I have only been going down to Baja for 7 years. I drive a truck and camper. I had a very close call 2 years ago when the road was blown out on a blind corner and almost had a head on. Now I drive 80 km and take my time. Last year I avoided a collision because I was driving slow enough to give the guy time to get back into his lane.

No more speeding for me.

AKgringo - 5-27-2019 at 08:39 AM

On the same stretch of road last year, I got stuck behind some very slow traffic (less than 80 kph). An over loaded ranch truck appeared to be followed by two sedans, and none of them could stay in their own lane!

It was at least ten miles before there was an upgraded section of highway that had shoulders wide enough to risk passing them. There must have been an interesting story behind that mini-caravan!