Cruising Baja: Road Signs and Driving Tips

Some of Baja’s road signs are pictorials: a bar and wavy lines means vado, a desert depression or wash that may or may not contain water. Near the U.S. border you may find signs in English, but many are strictly en español. Below find a translation of the most commonly seen signs.

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Why not print out this page and take it along on your upcoming road trip? Besides informing you of important information, you can quiz other passengers or the driver on Spanish vocabulary. Those who speak Spanish fairly well can challenge themselves by converting the formal commands to informal statements. For example, the formal statement “No rebase” would be “No rebasa” as an informal command.

Have fun, and drive carefully!

Driving Tips

	Baja’s Highway 1 is almost exclusively two lanes, and barely wide enough for a large truck or camper, with no shoulder. It’s extremely important to drive absolutely sober and wide awake.
	Watch for wandering cattle, horses, goats, and dogs as there’s much open range land.
	Avoid driving at night when possible.
	The usual speed limit on Baja’s Hwy 1 is 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour, with 60 kph (37 mph) the posted speed on some stretches and 40 kph (25 mph) around tight curves.
	All curves are not created equal. Approach each bend in the road with caution, as not all of the most dangerous ones are marked. Crosses by the side of the road are memorials to drivers who have not “made the grade.”

Important Caveat: The left turn signal means different things to different people. Mexicans, especially those driving trucks or other large vehicles, often use their left turn indicator to tell the driver behind them that it is safe to pass. When a driver unfamiliar with this practice uses his or her signal in preparation for a left turn, the driver behind may attempt to pass. Be aware of traffic behind you as you attempt left turns in Mexico, as this particular form of miscommunication can lead to injury or even death.

Road Signs in Spanish and Their English Equivalents
Spanish	English
Este camino no es de alta velocidad	This is not a high-speed highway
No rebase	No passing
Curva peligrosa	Dangerous curve
Avistamiento de ballenas	Whale-sighting area
Ponga la basura en su lugar	Put trash in its place
Concede cambio de luz	Dim your lights for oncoming traffic
Obedezca las señales	Obey traffic signs
Utilice el cinturón de seguro	Use seat belts
No maltrate las señales	Don’t mess with road signs
Grava suelta	Loose gravel
Tramo en reparación	Road repairs ahead
Máquinas trabajando	Heavy equipment ahead
Guarde su distancia	Don’t tailgate
Precaución: zona de ganado	Caution: open range
Si toma no maneja	If you drink, don’t drive
Con neblina encienda sus luces	Turn on headlights when foggy
Respete los límites de velocidad	Respect posted speed limits
Termina puente en construcción	End of bridge construction
Puente	Bridge
Puesto de control militar	Military checkpoint
Gracias por usar el cinturón de seguro	Thank you for buckling up
Topes	Speed bumps
Un solo carril	Single lane ahead
Desviación	Detour
Disminuya su velocidad	Slow down
No deje piedras sobre el pavamiento	Don’t leave rocks on the highway
Conserve limpia la carretera	Keep highway clean
Más vale tarde que nunca	Better late than never!
Zona de vados	Washes in area
Cruce de peatones	Crosswalk
No rebase con raya contínua	No passing on solid line
Precaución extrema: orilla peligrosa	Extreme caution: dangerous shoulder
No se estacione en curva	Don’t park on a curve
Termina acotamiento	Shoulder ends
Carreteras limpias son mas seguras	Clean highways are safer
Precaución: maquinas trabajando	Caution: machinery working ahead
Cinturón de seguridad obligatorio	Use of seat belt mandatory
No maltrates las senales	Don’t damage road signs
Precaución: zona de derrumbes	Caution: landslides possible
No circule por acotamiento	Don’t drive on shoulder
Modere la velocidad, su familia le espera	Slow down, your family is waiting for you
Con niebla o lluvia enciende sus luces	Turn on lights when foggy or rainy
Carril izquierdo solo para rebasar	Left lane for passing only
Principia tramo de cuota	Begin toll road
No deje piedras sobre el pavamiento	Don’t leave rocks on highway
Use acotamiento para emergencia	Use shoulder for emergencies
No exceda los límites de velocidad	Don’t excede speed limits
Transito lento carril derecho	Slower traffic use right lane
No tire basura	Don’t litter