Baja California state legislator Jaime Cantón is pressing state and municipal governments to act on what he calls a surge in traffic accidents in Mexicali, where an estimated 40 crashes occur every week, some of them fatal.
Cantón, a member of the Baja California State Congress, said legislative proposals targeting drunk driving have already been submitted. But without enforcement from the executive branch at both the state and municipal levels, those measures are failing to reduce the crash toll.
Mexicali Leads Baja California in Crashes
The lawmaker pointed out that Mexicali records significantly more traffic accidents than other cities in Baja California, including Tijuana, Ensenada, and Rosarito. The capital city’s wide boulevards, extreme summer heat, and sprawling urban layout contribute to dangerous driving conditions, though Cantón placed the blame squarely on inadequate enforcement.
His call comes as the city continues to see deadly crashes. In late April 2025, two women were killed and three people injured, including a two-year-old child, in a collision in Mexicali’s Paseo de las Flores neighborhood. Days earlier, a young driver died after losing control of his vehicle and striking a telephone pole at the intersection of Lázaro Cárdenas Boulevard and Refugio Street in the Santo Niño neighborhood on the city’s west side.
Enforcement Gap Between Legislature and Executive
Cantón’s complaint echoes a recurring theme in Baja California politics: the gap between laws passed by the state congress and their enforcement on the ground. Drunk driving remains a persistent factor in Mexicali collisions, and checkpoints and sobriety operations have been inconsistent across the municipality.
Other Baja California lawmakers have raised similar concerns about policing priorities. Assemblywoman Yohana Sarahí Hinojosa Gilvaja recently introduced a separate proposal calling on state authorities to redirect police officers from guarding public officials and business owners to street-level public safety duties.
For expats and visitors who drive in Mexicali, the situation is a practical concern. Under Mexican law, traffic accidents can be treated as criminal matters, and drivers involved in crashes may be detained until fault is determined. Mexican auto insurance, which is legally required for all drivers, is essential for anyone behind the wheel in the city.
Cantón has not announced specific policy demands beyond calling for executive action, but the 40-crash-per-week figure puts pressure on both the state government and Mexicali’s municipal administration to respond. The story was first reported by The Baja Post.