Driving in Isla Mujeres

Driving a car on Isla Mujeres can be quite hazardous and at times a bit frustrating. Hazardous because of golf carts, and to a lesser extent, motorcycles; it's always worth giving motorcycles a wide berth, because they are often overloaded with two adults sometimes with one or two children plus a baby, sometimes even the dog too. To carry more than two people is against the law, but the police have difficulty enforcing it. And the local government is reluctant to be too heavy-handed because of the votes it could cost them. Motorcycles are not as unpredictable as golf carts ; many of the tourists in golf carts seem to be oblivious of other road users. It is not unusual to see a golf cart suddenly do a U-turn or spot something of interest and take an abrupt left-hand turn into oncoming traffic.

If there is a collision, it can be quite difficult for the police to establish who was at fault. Something that very few ex pats realize is that if you are in a collision with a golf cart or a motorcycle and there is any blood, even a nosebleed, you are initially taken to jail. The way to avoid these situations where you find yourself blamed for an accident that is not your fault, is to have an onboard camera, they are not at all expensive and can prove to be a very reliable witness. The law in Isla Mujeres and Mexico is that the person who hits is at fault, which, of course, as we know in reality, is often not the case.

Many of the cars being driven by locals on Isla Mujeres are uninsured; in theory the owner is responsible if they damage your car and must pay for the repair, but if they have no money, collecting payment can be difficult. In Cancun, more of the vehicles on the road are insured. The system there may seem strange to foreigners; in the event of a collision, each driver must phone their insurer, within thirty to forty minutes, an assessor will arrive and try to ascertain who is at fault. This can sometimes lead to quite heated arguments between the two assessors. If no agreement can be reached, then the normal outcome is that each driver has to sign to say that they are responsible for their own damage. If one or both of the drivers refuse to agree to this, the police are called, and they remove both vehicles to make an assessment and the owners can find themselves without their vehicle for some months, this is the least desirable outcome.

Owning a car on Isla Mujeres has its advantages compared with owning a golf cart; golf carts are comparatively slow and very windy. If there is a sudden downpour, those in a golf cart get drenched from head to foot. Apart from which, there is the rainy season, when nobody feels like being in a golf cart. Some retirees start off with owning a golf cart, but the novelty soon wears off. We rent Isla Mujeres villas at South Point, and we have noticed that renters will make one trip to the center in a golf cart; if there are two trips, they take a taxi for one of them.