Watch out for giant speed bumps in Baja – TOPES!
Everyone has it happen to them – you are cruising along Highway 1 at 80 kilometers per hour enjoying the view of the desert without a worry in the world, then suddenly your vehicle jolts so hard it feels like you ran over a boulder causing you to bite your tongue as you scream an obscenity. #&$^#& Topes!
You got hit by another stealth Baja tope – the giant Baja speed bump! Instead of installing traffic lights or stop signs before each town along Highway 1, Baja has installed giant speed bumps to alert drivers to slow down prior to entering the town. Usually the topes are marked with a road sign showing a car going over a bump, and the actual tope is often painted bright yellow. Unfortunately, there are a few stealth topes out there that no longer have a sign (or never did), and the paint on the bump is so worn down that you can hardly see a fleck of yellow paint on it.
We have actually had a few insurance claims from customers who hit these topes at excessive speeds, so topes need to be taken seriously.
So every time you start to see any signs of civilization along Highway 1, go on tope radar. There most likely will be a tope (actually two topes – one on each end of town) lurking up ahead. Be warned.
0 comments - Posted by Jeff Nordahl at 3:39 PM - Categories: Baja Road Trips | Mexico Road Trips - Mainland Mexico