Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In February, amendments to the traffic laws of the State of Jalisco went into effect increasing the fines for drivers and their passengers who are not wearing their seat belts, as well as those who do not have liability insurance. The fines will range from $600 to $1,800 pesos.

The Municipal Transit of Puerto Vallarta posts approximately 4,000 fines per month, and the lack of safety belt use represents 35% of the total. The deputy director of the department, Gustavo Gomez Ulloa, said that while there are already sanctions for these infractions, the importance of the reforms to the law is that the amounts of the penalties are much higher. He explained that while before the fine was equal to a day's pay at minimum wage, the new law makes these offenses punishable by a fine of ten to thirty days of minimum wage pay.

Another change in the law is that young children are not to be transported in the front seats, except in vehicles that do not have rear seats, and that babies must always be strapped into approved car seats.

The following are the specifics of the new traffic laws.

Article 167 Bis

It is punishable by a fine of 10 to 30 days of minimum wage to those who commit the following offenses:

I. Not using seat belts, the driver and his passengers.

II. Transporting a child under 12 in the front seats. At all times the child should be transported in safety seats or restraint systems appropriate to their age.

III. The driver of a vehicle exceeds the speed limit by more than 10 kilometers per hour, provided that there are signs where the limit is announced. In schools, shopping centers, and hospitals, there is no tolerance whatsoever.

IV. Not having insurance to cover damage to third parties. This sentence may be waived if the offender presents proof of insurance against third parties within 20 days.

V. In addition to third party liability insurance, public and specialized transportation vehicles must have life insurance for all passengers.