Usually they get away with that kind of neglect. I'm sure you have seen lots of things in Mexico that you knew would never be acceptable in the US, at least not for the last many decades. There are no inspections on their vehicles and they just cob them together when they get old. I was driving one with a completely broken frame until we noticed and had it scabbed back together with some steel plates. In the US, that truck would have been scrapped years ago. In Cozumel right now They are building a seven story apartment down the street from where I live. Structural concrete with six inch thick honeycombed walls with a single mat of number 4 bars. I have no fear that the building will fail from its anemic design. Here I would build it with a double mat of steel with lots of special detailing in a 12" thick wall.It would have been a whole lot cheaper to just fix the problem when it was reported.
My point is, the culture and the reality there is what leads to taking risks that we would find intolerable and also what makes it possible to go down there and do two tank boat dives on a semi-private boat (six pax) for 80$ or even less. I had to stop judging their world and their decisions based on my culture long ago or it was going to make me crazy. They only recently outlawed 5 people on a scooter. Four is still ok and the babies don't need helmets.
Our evolution here in the US includes hefty doses of regulation like seatbelt laws, inspections and mandatory car insurance. You can't sell a new 150cc motorcycle here for 800$ but that's what my under regulated one cost. We can have "sanity and safety" and pay a ton more money for everything or we can go their route. After spending the last 6 months there, I have to say I prefer their way. It carries risks but our version has risks as well.
What I can't do is expect them to be "smarter" because I think I know what smarter is. I'm not really disagreeing with you or saying you're statement is off base. This is just my way of processing my own thoughts about this in public. I worked on some things helping a friend and everything I tried to find or buy or have made was way different than doing it at home and I have to admit I loved it.