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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Highway 1 Driving Hazards
WARNING! HAZARDS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE ON THE BAJA ROAD.
This is meant to be a stark reminder of DANGERS AHEAD on The Baja Road. (Mex. Hwy. 1)
Drive with caution…arrive safely.
The Hazards
The Baja Road is very narrow
There WILL be a wreck ahead
Wind can quickly obscure the entire road….
…and drifting sand can eventually block a lane or both.
Rain and Fog
…Fog is frequently quite thick around Guerrero Negro…look ahead and use your lights.
You WILL meet many, many large trucks…who will miss you by inches…hopefully.
Floods can create Washouts
Lax obedience of the law…even by professionals
A bully breaking the 1-at-a-time law in a construction zone
Machismo…Very unprofessional, but all too common
Drunk drivers are all too common, especially during holidays. This one was speeding, hit a tope, & rolled…resulting in a
fatality
Eroded areas are VERY dangerous
Pitted and flooded vados should be approached with caution, especially during and after storms
Construction areas can be poorly managed and unsafe…note the flaggers ignoring traffic
Observe ahead. Poor engineering results in collisions This inspection area’s spaces are far too narrow for wide rigs, trailers,
etc.
Farming areas like San Quentin can create many traffic hazards with large equipment on the highway
You WILL see livestock on or next to the road from time to time. Especially after recent rains.
There are more and more bicyclists on the Baja Road every year
Always use caution and choose your best time to pass
Caravans can delay you…just have patience and pass when safe. They will usually signal when to pass
Overloaded and poorly secured pickups are common.
Poor equipment and maintenance results in many unsafe vehicles on the road with you This car has two rear tire flats and still
going.
Unsafe and stupid driving practices Child riding in pickup bed…idiotic.
Oblivious & careless actions….be aware.
And lastly, you will see that a lot of drivers seem to think they’re pro-racers when they get to Baja… and take unreasonable chances…and
endanger everyone’s life. Please leave that bravado at home.
Well, there you are. I hope I didn't scare you off. Just wanted to make you drive with caution...and arrive safe.
Add your own ‘hazards’ to this thread. I hope we can help to provide a great and SAFE vacation for you on that next trip to Baja. And then you’ll
realize like all of us, that Baja is SO worth making that trip.
[Edited on 1-15-2014 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Ateo
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I bet you have one of the best Baja photo collections in the world.
Thanks for that educational and sometimes funny thread. Is that a person trying to get out of the window of the wreck that went over the cliff?
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dasubergeek
Senior Nomad
Posts: 694
Registered: 8-17-2013
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ROCKS IN THE ROAD. Nobody carries cones or flares in Baja... if there's a problem, they signal by putting boulders in the road. If you see them, slow
down (besides moving to avoid them). Unfortunately they don't put them away when the problem is resolved!
TOPES. Every little town and settlement has a tope, a giant, massive speed bump. If your car has low clearance or busted-up shocks, you WILL scrape
bottom. If you don't slow in time, you will be in for at least tire work, possibly axle or body work! Not every one is marked, and sometimes when
they're marked, they're missing. Expect them at every sign of settlement and drive safely.
OFF-ROAD CONSTRUCTION DETOURS. Mexicans don't do winding, lengthy detours just to keep people on pavement. When the road is being repaired, the detour
is usually in the desert off to the side. It may have been hastily cleared, rutted, bumpy. Even in the city of Tijuana road construction can mean
off-roading, like the periférico near Blvd. 2000!
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DocRey
Nomad
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Location: SADM, Playas de T.J./Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Got my attention. Thanks.
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basautter
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 7-1-2013
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Pay attention when driving, and have fun!
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Been lax myself at times
Kashmarik truck rentals overcharged me a little so I got even by going over their load limit on a run to San Quintin
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
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Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Any problems "passing" ... 
And thanks Pompano ... great shots
[Edited on 1-10-2014 by wessongroup]
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bacquito
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Good informatin, thanks I have been taken the "free road" TJ due to the collapse of the scenic road. People driving like it was and expressway.
bacquito
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BajaLuna
Senior Nomad
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Location: Pacific Northwest/Bahia Asuncion
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good post, Pompano, thanks!!!
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
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Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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Talk about overloads.
Last year when I was in the lineup to cross at San Ysidro I noticed that an older mustang next to me had a lot of activity going on. On closer
examination I noticed that it only had a drivers seat and the rest of it was filled with at least 20 goats. What was he thinking? Wish I would have
had my camera.
Thanks for the pics Roger and here's 2 more examples of hazards to watch for:
[Edited on 1-11-2014 by durrelllrobert]
Bob Durrell
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captkw
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The hwy !!
Pompano,,,you would be a hard act to follow !! this the best describtion of the drive I've seen yet !! the folks with the 3 ft wide bike trailers are
_____ !! aND FOR NEW FOLKS A PILE OF tecate cans is not trash....that's a Mexican road flare and/rocks !!! anyway..thanks ....Pompano
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55steve
Senior Nomad
Posts: 857
Registered: 4-24-2006
Location: Warner Springs, CA
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Pretty darn sure the pic of the truck towing the boat is NOT in Baja. Nice collection of pics and warnings!
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
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Osprey, you're killing me! Great post, Pompano. You have a lot of amazing photos and love your posts!
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
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Thanks
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acadist
Super Nomad
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Love the Airstreams on the beach!
Dave
I moved to CO and they made me buy a little rod to make it feel like a real fish
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 4999
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I noticed they removed the portion of this inspection overhang that was actually on the through lanes of the highway. The through lanes are now
entirely flattened back out (not even the raised islands are there) - and the inspection lanes are now only in the area off to the side of the main
highway through lanes.
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
WARNING! HAZARDS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE ON THE BAJA ROAD.
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When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
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Registered: 11-7-2006
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For personal use only... right!
| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Kashmarik truck rentals overcharged me a little so I got even by going over their load limit on a run to San Quintin |
Did you really smoke all that, Osprey?
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Thanks Roger... You are #1 in informative photo posts!
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Bajafun777
Super Nomad
Posts: 1103
Registered: 9-13-2006
Location: Rosarito & California
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Mood: Enjoying Life with Wife In Mexico, Easy on The Easy
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I have seen so many wrecks driving in Baja and also in Mainland, most could have easily been prevented by common sense but pushing time & miles
don't allow for that it appears. Good heads up on these issues that again I doubt very few of us that travel a lot in Mexico have seen these more
times than we care to remember.
The big trucks and those crazy tourist buses trying to make even faster time gives your heart that little extra pumping sensation that so many of need
to keep us focused on the roads down here!! LOL Speed is a real killer down here along with way overloaded pickup trucks and semi-trucks. The really
extra heart pumping sensation are the idiots passing on curves into your lane and over double lanes, MMMM that really also brings out that hardline
cussing too.
Great topic Roger, you brought it all back and then some. Take Care & Travel Safe-----"No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN" bajafun777
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Osprey (aka Jorge). That's a hilarious image. It put a big smile on my face ... and that's always a good thing.
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