So far this year, Guanajuato has recorded 1,457 accidents on state highways, with an average of 182 accidents per month, leaving 609 people injured and 126 deaths.
The municipalities with the most dangerous highway sections are Silao, León, Guanajuato City, and Celaya.
February was the deadliest month of 2025 for highway accidents, with a 156% increase in deaths: from nine deaths in 2024 to 23 this year.
A tourist bus driver was crushed by his vehicle in La Sauceda, Guanajuato City. The accident occurred during the Sunday market.
That month, one of the most notorious cases occurred on Saturday, February 1, at around 9:30 a.m., when a young woman of approximately 25 years of age, accompanied by her three minor children and her mother, was traveling in a gray Renault.
The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a metal pole on the Salamanca-León highway. The car split; the two adult women survived, but the three minors died.
In August, road accident deaths increased 100%: in 2024, 10 deaths were recorded, and this year, the total number rose to 20.
Danger travels on four wheels
July saw an increase of just 10%, going from 10 to 11 deaths in one year; the remaining months showed variable decreases, according to figures from the Ministry of Security and Peace, corresponding to the period from January to August.
Guanajuato has a total of 2,894 kilometers of state highways and 1,414 kilometers of federal highways, totaling 4,308 kilometers.
The most dangerous stretches for drivers and priorities for the State Highway Police are: Silao-San Felipe (considered the deadliest), Silao-Guanajuato, Silao-Puerto Interior, Guanajuato-Juventino Rosas, and Celaya-Comonfort-San Miguel de Allende.
The Metropolitan Axis, which crosses León, and the Celaya-Villagrán freeway are also added to the list.
Figures that reflect the tragedies
According to the report from the Ministry of Security and Peace, compact cars are the most frequently involved in road accidents, followed by pickup trucks; motorcycles are in third place, and then cargo vehicles.
April was the month with the highest number of accidents on state highways, with 209 incidents; March recorded 200, May 199, January 196, and February 180.
In June, 162 accidents were recorded, and in July the number dropped to 152; August saw a slight increase with 159.
In the same period in 2024, May topped the list with 253 accidents, followed by March with 243; while January and June each recorded 237.
The main causes of these accidents include:
Excessive speed and failure to respect legal limits (41%)
Reckless maneuvers (26%)
Failure to maintain the proper distance from other vehicles (15%)
Failure to yield to another driver (12%).
One police officer dead, two seriously injured, and five more in stable condition
On the night of April 28, on the San Felipe-Silao highway, a cargo truck allegedly crossed into the opposite lane and struck a State Public Security Forces (FSPE) patrol car, leaving one officer dead.
The accident also left two police officers seriously injured and five more injured. The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m., at kilometer 42+900 of the state highway, between the communities of Los Arrastres and Cantera Sur, in the municipality of San Felipe.
It is believed that the driver of a dump truck caused the accident by crossing into the opposite lane while exiting a curve, colliding head-on with the FSPE patrol car, which he struck and struck. The heavy vehicle ended up overturned on its right side; the driver survived and fled the scene.
That road only has two lanes, one in each direction, and despite the installation of speed bumps, heavy vehicle drivers often ignore them.
Family Dies in Car Accident in August
During the early hours of Saturday, August 30, a vehicle accident occurred in the community of El Rodeo, on the Guanajuato-Juventino Rosas Highway, leaving five dead and two seriously injured.
Cinthia Vázquez Ramírez, Alison Valeria Buzo Ramírez, Aranza Salas Ramírez, Génesis Ortega Márquez, and María Ramírez Cruces were traveling in a blue Chrysler Voyager van with rear-end damage; one of them was left lying on the asphalt.
The mayor of Romita, Pedro Tanamachi, confirmed that the victims were originally from his municipality.
It is believed that one of the vans was traveling at excessive speed and rear-ended another, causing the vehicle in which the minors were traveling to enter the opposite lane. Due to the force of the impact, one of the girls was thrown out of the vehicle.
Stranded for Up to 26 Hours After Accidents
Drivers, motorcyclists, and truckers have been stuck in traffic for up to 26 hours due to accidents on the Silao–San Felipe highway.
Francisco Pérez, with 18 years of experience in freight transport, stated that no highway in the country has caused him as many problems as this one, with at least one traffic accident occurring every month.
He travels this route Monday through Saturday to transport merchandise from Hidalgo to San Luis Potosí and Jalisco.
“We were there for about 26 hours because of an accident, but it was really bad, with several deaths. I was stuck for more than a full day. When I arrived, the line was already there; the accident involved two trucks and a trailer. Later, we found out that one tried to pass the other and ran into a trailer, and it took them both out; the driver died,” he recalled.
Francisco commented that these mishaps affect arrival times at their destination. He recalled that two weeks ago he faced major traffic chaos on this highway: he normally remains stopped for three to five hours, but on that occasion, the crossing was closed for more than 20 hours.
During that time, he couldn’t eat because there were no businesses around. “It was Friday at 4:00 a.m., and the crossing wasn’t open until 6:00 a.m. on Saturday,” he said.
He acknowledged that most highway accidents involve semi-trucks. He added that the lack of security in the state generates fear day and night, forcing them to drive faster to reach their destination quickly and avoid robberies.
“We can go out, and there’s always someone who drives too fast or in a bad way. Everyone pays for it. We’re not sure we’ll get home, even though we long for it every day. There are many who don’t make it, due to their own carelessness or that of other drivers,” he lamented.
Source: milenio
