Car Accidents While Driving Rentals in Mexico

[Ms Belvedere]

Article in today's Washington Post Travel Section about having an accident while driving in Mexico.

 

ComingAndGoing

Sunday, May 15, 2005; Page P01

 

ROAD TRIPS FROM HELL

Mexican Fiasco

 

Warren Eisenberg of Chevy Chase, vacationing in Cozumel, Mexico, had just pulled from a stop sign when a motorcycle driver later found to be drunk hit his rental car. The cyclist went to the hospital with a broken leg. Eisenberg, despite having bought Mexican auto insurance, went to jail .

 

 

A man saying he represented the motorcyclist initially demanded $2,000 in cash . When the man heard that the cyclist's blood test showed he was drunk, his demand dropped to $500. Additionally, authorities insisted that Eisenberg pay $800 cash for what he was told was "bail." Authorities refused to give Eisenberg any receipts or documents , but released him once family members came up with $1,300 cash -- about 12 hours after the March 30 accident.

 

Eisenberg then returned home to find that LessPay Car R ental , a small Mexican outfit, had billed his credit card an extra $1,125. LessPay said the insurance Eisenberg bought had a $1,000 deductible, and that the company had also paid his $180 fine. (CoGo realizes these figures don't add up. LessPay did not respond to an e-mail from CoGo, and the U.S. phone number on its Web site doesn't work.)

 

Turns out Eisenberg's treatment is pretty standard. A U.S. State Department report on Mexico warns: "If you are involved in an automobile accident [in Mexico] you will be taken into police custody until it can be determined who is liable and whether you have the ability to pay the penalty. If you do not have Mexican liability insurance, you may be prevented from departing the country even if you require life-saving medical care, and you are almost certain to spend some time in jail until all parties are satisfied that responsibility has been assigned and adequate financial satisfaction received."

 

Mexico does not recognize any U.S. coverage your insurer or credit cards may provide for rental vehicles. Additionally, Mexican insurance is invalid if you are found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

 

Eisenberg has challenged the $1,125 charge with his credit card company. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Kelly Shannon said he would have to hire a Mexican attorney to try to get the money back.

 

Bottom line: If you're going to drive in Mexico, buy Mexican liability insurance, insist on a document outlining what it covers and carry it with you. In addition, the U.S. State Department urges Americans traveling overseas to register with the U.S. embassy and to carry embassy phone numbers. To register with U.S. embassies and get a contact list: http://www.travel.state.gov .

[barbgazz]

Better yet, use a taxi.

[hdawson]

For what it's worh, many yrs ago while visiting a Mexico/Texas border town, I parked illegally. When ticketing the car the police took my license plate, knowing full well, when I got back to the states, no fine would be paid. To me that made sense so that is probably the reason for high bail for foreigners.

All I had to do was visit the police station and pay the fine and I got the plates back. In many cases we Americans have a reputation to repair.

BTW, on Cozumel after 6 or 7 visits, the wrost and most hazardous drivers I've seen are young cruisers in rental jeeps that are there to party.

[Ms Belvedere]

For what it's worh, many yrs ago while visiting a Mexico/Texas border town, I parked illegally. When ticketing the car the police took my license plate, knowing full well, when I got back to the states, no fine would be paid. To me that made sense so that is probably the reason for high bail for foreigners.

All I had to do was visit the police station and pay the fine and I got the plates back. In many cases we Americans have a reputation to repair.

BTW, on Cozumel after 6 or 7 visits, the wrost and most hazardous drivers I've seen are young cruisers in rental jeeps that are there to party.

Someone else posted this link http://www.*****.org/ that has a reference to police taking your plates off the car. Click the link, click on "Travel Tips" at the bottom of the page and scroll down to "Driving in Mexico" just under the section "Island Dogs and Mexican Dogs".

 

To the person who originally posted this link, thank you, it has loads of great info and is a fun read too. :)

[Cammie]

I'll take a taxi when I'm in Mexico. I saw a woman go flying off a scooter the last time I was there. She was pulling out of a parking space as a car was pulling in. She and the scooter lost the race, and she went flying. It was scary.

[Firefighterhoop]

I totally 100percent agree here, I will not rent a car outside of the USA, Laws are different, and in most places it is Guilty until proven innocent!

[hdawson]

I usually rent a jeep when on Cozumel and have had no problems. But of course I haven't had an accident either. Beautiful shoreline and good road.

[snowbird1]

My father rented a car in Cozumel and after hearing his story of what happened when the car ran out of gas (had a broken gas gauge) I would never rent anything there. The police tried to throw him in jail for running out of gas and then of course they offered not to take him to jail if he paid them money. (Imagine that). :mad:

 

BTW, I like Cozumel a lot but I just won't rent a car there.

[Guest OBAYbee]

This has nothing to do with me renting a car. However, while in Cozumel year before last I was with a tour group crossing a street there. Unbeknownst to me there was a huge pot hole in the middle of the street I failed to notice.

Pretty much it turned into now you see me, BAM now you don't.

A rental car (jeep) turned on to the street I was on and ran over my backpack and a bag of souvenirs that had fallen with me. I received a small cut from what I think was the bumper of his car on my left arm. The driver never blinked an eye. He slowed stuck his head out the window sped up and drove away.

I ended the tour early and walked around the remainder of my vacation with a splint on my badly swollen ankle.

The ships doctor and some of the crew on Mariner checked me off and on all day to see that I was doing ok. Fellow passengers took down the car ID but to my knowledge this person was never found. OR, maybe he is in a jail rotting somewhere for leaving the scene of an accident ;)

Moral to the story, watch out for tourists not just the natives, both are causing havoc on the islands.

[mdmourges]

I'm sure having an accident in most foreign countries is not a good thing. Heck, it's not good here either! Regardless, anytime I am going to be somewhere for more than a few days, I have always rented a car (Riveria Maya, Cabo (2x) and Antigua). Never had an issue. This is not to say that when you do, you won't have hell to pay.

 

Mark