Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Baja Sur car insurance experiment
Baja car insurance experiment.
The new highway liability insurance law that went into effect October 1, 2013 for Federal Highways in Baja California Sur (and I believe Baja
California) is finally getting notice.
In this little Baja Sur village we all just renewed our auto registrations here and received the usual window sticker. No talk yet of Proof of
Insurance. But, the jungle drummers say that next year, when we all pay a little bit more (about $30 bucks) for metal plates from China, MEXICANS AND
GRINGOS ALIKE WILL ALL HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE IN THE AMOUNT OF NO LESS THAN 3,000,000 PESOS BEFORE WE WILL BE HANDED OUR
RENEWAL PLATES.
Then the fun begins: most Mexicans in little off the map places don’t even know what liability insurance protection is, how to get it, what it’s for,
how much to pay, etc. etc. One Federal Highway roadblock next year could see the Federales, after a couple of hours of inspection, left with how to
deal with impounding 12 miles of parked cars on either side of the roadblock.
That first crunch will be a hum dinger since 3000 “No insurance” tickets are difficult and time-consuming no matter how they handle the roadblocked
cars/buses/trucks, etc.
All policies, no matter what the cost will have to be paid in cash for one year since the “Insuror notifies the state” cancellation routine for non
payment of financed policies in the states would not work in Mexico.
I got mine, when I saw this coming, from a local agent for Qualitas. It was about $200 dollars per car for 2 cars. It’s just for liability and
medical, two seniors with Mexican driver’s licenses, two vanilla cars with Mexican plates. Don’t have any idea what it will be for my Mexican
neighbors but I just can’t see any easy way to make this work, enforce it without a lot of pushback. If they decide on impounding as a way of
enforcement, Baja Sur will become the world’s largest car lot (junk yard?).
Wonder if the Federales will ticket those gringos with U.S. plates for not having insurance proof IN ESPAÑOL ?
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6343
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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That is a lot of Pesos for the local Mexicans who can barely afford the fuel in their vehicles, let alone now the insurance, George.
The NOB vehicles' insurance for Baja is now more than double what it was last year. Liability only is about $150/yr. Full coverage runs in the
neighborhood of $300,00 US/year.
I think the Federales can pretty much assume that us gringos will have some coverage.
But as you speculate...the inspection for Mexican plated vehicles will get pretty long.
Earlier this year, I went through a Federales inspection line...I don't know what for. But there were many Mexican plated vehicles pulled over near
Santo Thomás, just south of Ensenada. The US plated vehicles were not stopped, only Mexican plated vehicles, plus vehicles that were being towed.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
All policies, no matter what the cost will have to be paid in cash for one year since the “Insuror notifies the state” cancellation routine for non
payment of financed policies in the states would not work in Mexico.
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Seems like an impending cluster, I've wondered about Calif.
insurance requirement for insurance to register a car here,
I'm under the belief, possibly mistaken, that one could
pay for ins. in Ca., by the month, pay the first mo.,
register the vahicle then make no further monthly ins.
payments, not positive if the insuror notifies the state or
not, I don't believe so. In parts Ca., 50% are uninsured,
probably doesn't take a mensa to figure where those
areas are. In San Felipe for yrs. there were old clunkers
with US plates in town, seems like there was a policy
that they not be driven out on the Hwy
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Los Transitos are licking their chops. FINALLY! A newer car! Replacement furniture to hear less noise when they go home, money enough to go visit el
cuñado in Acapulco.
But hijo de la gran puta, "I" will have to get seguros on mi carro tambien.
The life of a transito is rife with excitement and hope...
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Gulliver
Senior Nomad
Posts: 651
Registered: 11-18-2013
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What ever happened to those two fat little cops on bicycles in Santa Rosalia? They were zooming around like Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum giving tickets
for supposed parking violations. That was like four years ago. Maybe someone stole their bikes.
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