Mexican law NOM-034-SSA3-2013 restricts the use of ambulances to prehospital medical care, so their misuse can lead to legal sanctions. Penalties include prison sentences of six months to two years, as well as fines ranging from 2,000 to 9,000 pesos. Authorities can also apply measures such as the temporary or permanent suspension of service, license review, administrative sanctions, and, in serious cases, the initiation of criminal proceedings. A key point in the legal framework is that sanctions do not fall directly on users or passengers, as the legislation establishes that responsibility lies with the operating company, the vehicle owner, and the technical staff who permit and carry out the misuse of the unit. This means that, unless there is another provable crime, individuals who request or use the service for personal purposes do not face direct sanctions. UNACCEPTABLE AND ILLEGAL: Spanish singer NATALIA JIMÉNEZ used an ambulance with the siren and lights on to get to CARLOS RIVERA's party in Huamantla, Tlaxcala. What you did, Natalia, was illegal. The use of emergency vehicles for personal purposes returned to the center of public conversation after the controversy starring singer Natalia Jiménez, who resorted to a private ambulance to travel from Mexico City to Tlaxcala. The case, which was documented by the artist herself on social media, generated criticism and questions about the legal and ethical limits in the use of this type of unit, designed exclusively to attend to urgent medical situations. What did Natalia Jiménez do? On the night of March 14, after her participation in the Vive Latino festival, the singer boarded an ambulance that was originally intended for emergencies within the event. The vehicle circulated with sirens and emergency lights on on main roads such as Circuito Interior, with the objective of reaching the Mexico City International Airport, from where she would continue her transfer by helicopter to Huamantla, Tlaxcala. The incident caused a wave of reactions on social media, where users questioned the use of emergency resources for personal purposes, pointing out possible risks for those who really require immediate medical attention. What does the law say about the use of ambulances? The Regulation to Regulate Vehicles for Use as Ambulances in Mexico City, published in 2022, establishes that both public and private ambulances can only use lights and sirens when attending a real emergency or transporting a patient in critical condition. According to article 15.c, any use outside these conditions constitutes a violation. Furthermore, article 37 states that driving with these devices activated without justification can result in the immediate impoundment of the vehicle.
