Yes, believe it or not there are rules of the road while driving in Mexico.

If you can read Spanish, here are some FAQs regarding the laws applicable to the federal district (Mexico City). Each Mexican State will have similar laws.
http://www.setravi.df.gob.mx/p_frecu...q.html?tema=32

Some of the thing I learned while reading through the FAQs that visitors driving in Mexico should be aware of include:

Children under age 5 may not ride in the front seat (Fine is at least 10 days current minimum wage).

Seat belt use is mandatory (Fine is at least 10 days current minimum wage).

Running a red light or stop sign is a minimum fine of 5 days minimum wage.

No person may drive a vehicle on a public highway or street if the person has a blood alcohol level of greater than .8 grams/liter or a breathalyzer reading greater than .4 miligrams per liter. Mandatory jail time of 20 to 36 hours for violating this law plus impounding of the vehicle.

I've seen the local police doing "breath tests" in Mexico City(Eje 1 Ote?), the second lane was being blocked by a couple of police vehicle and some poles, 5 maybe 6 officers and a doctor? (wearing a white coat) were standing on the roadside of the third lane. IIRC, It was around 11:30PM. I wasn't drinking that evening, but I don't speak Spanish other than Corona or Lambada so that I had been surrounded by them. Although the doctor did let me go after the breath test, it might have been better if I made a right turn 2 blocks before this check-point like everyone driving in front of me did.(At first glance, I thought the guy wearing a white coat is a molester or something.)

As for the "red light", my understanding is that(in night condition) "running through" is not allowed but "sneaking in and go" should be OKay. Just for the record, I'm not color blind.

Like any law in Mexico, it's only enforced when somebody wants to get a payoff.

As far as driving, there's one main rule: do whatever you need to do to get there, and if you get caught, always be prepared to pay off the cops.

I think this thread may deserve "sticky".

Law enforcement varies greatly from state to state. Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara are known for their bad driving. You can see a much better driving in Guanajuato, Zacatecas or even Queretaro.

Even the same "chilangos" who drive like crazy in DF are good drivers when they go to other states. Of course, there are those who are easily recognized everywhere as they don't forget their origin.

Same can be said about mexican immigrants who drive very well in the US and forget every law when they come back to Mexico.

As I've posted elsewhere, a few things to remember:

Insurance not only saves your money, it can save your... como se llama... from jail, and it does not cover broken windshield or window glass ("rotura de cristales") or partial theft ("robo parcial") from your automobile, only full theft of the car itself. The insurance also acts as bail / the company acts as guarantor, which is important because:

Mexico's laws are largely based on Napoleonic Code - you are presumed to be guilty until you can prove your innocence. In the case of an accident with another, the local with local police connections, the person with most money, etc. may be the one who can "prove" innocence. You are not guaranteed a jury, appearance before a judge... you get the picture. �Cuidado! is what we say. (Careful!)

If you find a cop with a screwdriver taking your license plate - or find it missing when you return to the car - this means it will be taken to the local cop shop - what it is depends on the size of the city you are caught in. You will be required to pay the fine (multa, pronounced "MOOL-tuh") before your plate is restored to you.

Driving infractions can result in lifting your license instead, same deal - go to the cop shop, pay your $$$. (Some folks spend a few bucks on an International Driver's License in their country of origin, usually from the local Automobile Club like RAC, AAA, etc. and hand that over, keeping their home license - perfectly legal to use your original home license, but you really don't want to leave it behind if retrieving your license / paying the fine will crimp your travel / departure.)

Some places, it is still possible for an officer to pull you over (they can spot a foreign or rental plate a long way off,) and tell you that you violated (insert: a traffic signal, a traffic law, the speed limit, etc.) They may be fishing for a bribe - a US $20 will suffice, but don't appear angry or arrogant - merely ask if you can "pay the fine on the spot," allowing all to save face. If you insist on going to headquarters, it will probably cost you more and take much more time. Yes, I hate it, and it is about corruption, but you really can't fight it single-handedly, really - plus cops get next to nothing in salaries, must kick 80% up to their bosses, and often assignments are decided on the basis of "officer productivity," shall we say.

If you see an accident, I will unfortunately advise you not to stop. Drive on, and report the accident at the next "gasolinera' (gasoline or petrol station) or next police officer or "Green Angel" (see below) you see. If you become involved, there are no "good Samaritan" laws to protect you, and you may get blamed for injury if you provide even effective first aid but the person is injured � and much worse if s/he dies.

Mexican road signs are more like European, though up north they look more American - there can be some variety. Speed are generally in kilometers per hour - 62 miles = 100km. Basically, the simple, rough rule of thumb is a 3:5 ratio of miles to kilometers. But you may more often not have a sign of any kind warning you of what is coming...

Mexican highways and roads are full of "topes" (TOE-pays), known in other places as "sleeping policemen." There are no standards, but they are often near schools or at the entry / exit to villages, and may consist of anything from corrugations, rows of small hemispheres, up to great honking humps that you will need to take at a very S-L-O-W speed to not bottom your car out. They may be marked with a variety of non-standard signs "TOPES" or "TOPES a 50 mt" - bumps at 50 meters / about 155 feet, etc. (or not!)

You will on occasion find detours around washed out bridges or sections under reconstruction, and during the rainy season (June - October in much of the nation,) you can encounter washed out highway sections (such as on the Mexico -Acapulco highway) due to flash floods and tropical rainstorms. Check road conditions with other drivers - others may tell you what they think you may want to hear, from the perspective of someone who does not drive or has not been on your bit of road in a long time. Intercity bus drivers are probably the best and most informed.

Other common road hazards may include: animals, the occasional drunk walking / staggering down the road (Sundays especially), piles of rocks left behind as signals of a breakdown, broken down trucks or cars marked only by a branch or rocks (try seeing those at night!) Oh, yes, potholes of various sizes, and stones thrown up by large trucks (they seem magnetically attracted to your windshield.) It's really best not to drive at night.

You will also find out it isn�t uncommon to find people not signaling, vehicles with broken lights or non-functioning safety equipment (signals, marker lights, etc.) Most learn to drive by hit and miss, literally � don�t expect a high level of driving standards, and you won�t be surprised.

At gasoline stations, young boys or men will want to fill your tank, wash your windshield, etc. A small tip will help and is customary, but I smile and turn down ("no, gracias" - no GRUH-see-us) offers to wash the windshield or check the oil - they present opportunities to short-dip your dipstick and sell you unnecessary oil, scratch your windshield with dirty newspapers or oily dirty rags. Be sure the attendant sets the meter to zero before beginning to pump your gasoline, count your change and give a peso or two tip. Many are honest, but the few dishonest ones can be a problem. And, since occasional shortages may exist at stations, when your tank shows half � fill it up. And do check your coolant / water levels personally, plus look for coolant hose leaks, periodically.

Maps are not so easy to find - check "librerias" - bookstores - for a local or national Guia Roji (GHEE-uh ROE-hee, hard "g".) These could still be a few years out of date.

Renting a car? Give it a thorough walk-around, be sure all scratches and dings are marked - in fact, if you have a digital video or still camera, take a photo or two. Make sure the car has both side mirrors, the jack, spare tire, etc. so you don't find yourself SOL without one or have to pay for them when they were never in the car to begin with. Check the gasoline tank, and have a note with initials from the rental employee at least if the tank is not full. Check tires to see they are OK, including the spare is inflated; check oil and coolant levels. Get it taken care of before you drive away, or be sure it is marked on the rental contract.

Parking, it can be helpful and protective to park in an "estacionamiento" for a few pesos, or to accept the services of a tamarind-uniformed parking overseer on a street - or at least the largest of a group of kids watching cars. You tip them a couple of pesos when you return. This may make a difference for you as well as for them. Keep luggage, valuables out of sight, of course - even when driving.

In Mexico City particularly, keep doors locked, windows closed and purses, valuables out of sight - thieves with a bolt in hand can crack your glass and steal anything in sight in seconds, and have even taken watches from drivers' wrists when they are signaling. I know these things have happened in the US as well, but we're talking about Mexico here.

Be aware if you are traveling intercity of the "Angeles Verdes" - Green Angles. These are green pickup trucks with utility bodies that cruise the highways to help drivers, passing in each direction at least twice daily. They have two crew, representatives of the Tourism Department. At least one will speak English, have some mechanical and first aid skills, and they carry spare gas (at cost,) some basic parts and a radio to get help. You will wonder why other countries encouraging tourism doesn't do this; Mexico has had these folks for decades.

Don't be paranoid, be prepared. Most Mexicans are helpful and hospitable, but make it hard for the few who are not, and easier for yourself. And if you want to give yourself a treat, take a first class or executive service bus intercity � often these have reclining seats, a stewardess, W. C., snacks and beverages, top notch divers, air conditioning, etc. a far cry from the �chicken busses� some people imagine (they still exist, of course.) I only wish we had service comparable to top level Mexican bus service north of the border.

My credentials? I live within a few kilometers of El Cochinito, who has poste dimportant current information on Mexican driving laws in the first post... and driving in Mexico (and Central and South America) over fifty years, as well as perhaps thirty other countries, as well as living in Mexico - including a one year drive through remote Mexico and Central America, living in a Volkswagen kombi, driving the old Baja trail and many others. I got my first driver's license by "passing a printed test" - though I had learned traffic laws and driving from lessons from my parents, the police officer really wanted small portraits of dead Mexican heroes to add to his collection. �Viva la revoluci�n!