There is no law in Mexico requiring that any motorist carry insurance. There is no penalty if you get pulled over and cannot provide proof of financial responsibility. However, if you get into an accident, and it is decided that you are at fault, and you do not have insurance, then you are going to Mexican jail, and there you will stay until all the damages and medical bills are paid by someone on your behalf.

When we were driving down last year, we knew we needed to get Mexican auto insurance before we crossed the border. I had called my insurance agent, and he told me my American policy would not cover me beyond the 21 km free zone inside of Mexico.

Not knowing anything about Mexican insurance, I went to www.drivemex.com and bought a one year policy. I got comprehensive insurance for $286US, which I thought was a great deal. I have no idea if it was a good policy or not, because we never had to use it.

It dawned on us Friday that if we have been here in Mazatlan for one year, then our policy has expired. We needed new insurance. It was tempting to just go online and buy another policy, easy-peasy. But a friend of ours was recently involved in a car accident here in Mazatlan, and his insurance agent turned out to be an invaluable asset.

My friend was plowed into by a drunk driver while performing a maneuver that, while not technically legal, is the accepted way of doing things here. He was trying to cross a divided road, and pulled halfway across and stopped in the median area while he waited for traffic to clear. Most anyone would come to the conclusion that the drunk was at fault. But this is Mexico, and things are done differently here.

My friend immediately called his insurance agent, Juan Chong, who came to the scene of the accident, translated for him, and dealt with the police. He also arranged to have the car towed to the garage. Later he dealt with the repairs. Most importantly he dealt with the judicial system.

So, we decided to go see Juan Chong about our insurance, and it's a good thing we did. He quoted us a price of $226US for full coverage in the Northern part of Mexico for one year. Our previous policy covered all of Mexico for only a little bit more money, so I asked why. I handed over our previous policy, and he began to compare. Both had medical, roadside assistance, legal assistance, theft, etc. He checked off each item as he went. Then he looked up at me and said, "There is no uninsured motorist coverage here."

I checked the paperwork, wondering how I could have been so stupid, and he was right. We had been driving around for a year without uninsured motorist coverage. In Mexico. Where almost no one has insurance. Sheesh!

Needless to say, we bought a policy from Juan on the spot. The insurance is sold by ING Direct, a brand we trust. And now we are happily motoring around – with full coverage.

Juan Chong is located at 2411 5 de Mayo in Centro. His telephone number is 982-8900. He speaks fluent English.