We’ve been traveling for 6 weeks, have visited numerous cities, driven 1,500 miles, and have yet to feel unsafe.
The most unsafe we’ve felt was when we were attempting to cross select streets on foot in Puerto Vallarta. If there was one place we would’ve been hit by a bus, it was there!
Mexico is a deceptively large country, so they’re are certainly parts that are less safe than others. Where does your friend live?
RE: Traveling Through Mexico! An Airbnb in Tepic, Nayarit & The Elusive "Tortilla Man" in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco