Asking About Road Conditions

You're driving and want to know about the road ahead.

You
Disculpe, ¿cómo está la carretera hacia Puebla?
dees-KOOL-peh, KOH-moh es-TAH lah kah-rreh-TEH-rah AH-see-ah PWEH-blah
Excuse me, how is the road to Puebla?
'Carretera' is the word for highway or main road. For a smaller road, you'd say 'camino.'
Local
Hay mucho tráfico a esta hora, y hay varios topes en la entrada del pueblo.
eye MOO-choh TRAH-fee-koh ah ES-tah OH-rah, ee eye BAH-ree-ohs TOH-pehs en lah en-TRAH-dah del PWEH-bloh
There's a lot of traffic at this hour, and there are several speed bumps at the town entrance.
'Topes' are speed bumps, extremely common in Mexico. They are often unmarked, so drive slowly through towns.
You
¿Es seguro manejar de noche por esa carretera?
es seh-GOO-roh mah-neh-HAR deh NOH-cheh por EH-sah kah-rreh-TEH-rah
Is it safe to drive at night on that road?
Driving at night is generally not recommended on rural Mexican highways due to unmarked topes, animals, and limited visibility.
Local
No se lo recomiendo. Hay baches y no hay mucha luz. Mejor salga temprano.
noh seh loh rreh-koh-mee-EN-doh. eye BAH-chehs ee noh eye MOO-chah loos. meh-HOR SAHL-gah tem-PRAH-noh
I wouldn't recommend it. There are potholes and not much lighting. Better to leave early.
'Baches' are potholes. Combined with 'topes' (speed bumps), these are the two road hazards you'll hear about most.