SB0055

SENATE BILL 55

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Steven P. Neville

AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; INCREASING THE FINES FOR RECKLESS DRIVING, CARELESS DRIVING AND TEXTING WHILE DRIVING; PROVIDING A PENALTY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

SECTION 1. Section 66-8-113 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 521, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-8-113. RECKLESS DRIVING.--

A. Any person who drives any vehicle carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others and without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property is guilty of reckless driving.

B. Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be punished [notwithstanding the provisions of Section 31-18-13 NMSA 1978] upon a first conviction by imprisonment for not less than five days [nor] or more than ninety days or by a fine of [not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than] one hundred dollars ($100), or both, and on a second or subsequent conviction by imprisonment for not less than ten days [nor] or more than six months or by a fine of not less than [fifty dollars ($50.00) nor] three hundred dollars ($300) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

C. Upon conviction of violation of this section, the [director] secretary may suspend the license or permit to drive and any nonresident operating privilege for not to exceed ninety days."

SECTION 2. Section 66-8-114 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1969, Chapter 169, Section 12) is amended to read:

"66-8-114. CARELESS DRIVING.--

A. Any person operating a vehicle on the highway shall give [his] the person's full time and entire attention to the operation of the vehicle.

B. Any person who operates a vehicle in a careless, inattentive or imprudent manner without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic, weather and road conditions and all other attendant circumstances is guilty of a misdemeanor.

C. Every person convicted of careless driving shall be punished for a first conviction by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than five hundred dollars ($500), and on a subsequent conviction by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000)."

SECTION 3. Section 66-8-116 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 524, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-8-116. PENALTY ASSESSMENT MISDEMEANORS--DEFINITION--SCHEDULE OF ASSESSMENTS.--

A. As used in the Motor Vehicle Code, "penalty assessment misdemeanor" means violation of any of the following listed sections of the NMSA 1978 for which, except as provided in Subsections D and E of this section, the listed penalty assessment is established:

COMMON NAME OF OFFENSE SECTION VIOLATED PENALTY ASSESSMENT

Improper display of

registration plate 66-3-18 $ 25.00

Failure to notify of

change of name or address 66-3-23 25.00

Lost or damaged registration,

plate or title 66-3-24 20.00

Permitting unauthorized

minor to drive 66-5-40 50.00

Permitting unauthorized

person to drive 66-5-41 25.00

Failure to obey sign 66-7-104 10.00

Failure to obey signal 66-7-105 10.00

Speeding 66-7-301

(1) up to and including

ten miles an hour

over the speed limit 15.00

(2) from eleven up to

and including fifteen

miles an hour

over the speed limit 30.00

(3) from sixteen up to

and including twenty

miles an hour over the

speed limit 65.00

(4) from twenty-one up to

and including twenty-five

miles an hour

over the speed limit 100.00

(5) from twenty-six up to

and including thirty

miles an hour over the

speed limit 125.00

(6) from thirty-one up to

and including thirty-five

miles an hour over the

speed limit 150.00

(7) more than thirty-five

miles an hour over the

speed limit 200.00

Unfastened safety belt 66-7-372 25.00

Child not in restraint device

or seat belt 66-7-369 25.00

Minimum speed 66-7-305 10.00

Speeding 66-7-306 15.00

Improper starting 66-7-324 10.00

Improper backing 66-7-354 10.00

Improper lane 66-7-308 10.00

Improper lane 66-7-313 10.00

Improper lane 66-7-316 10.00

Improper lane 66-7-317 10.00

Improper lane 66-7-319 10.00

Improper passing 66-7-309 through 66-7-312 10.00

Improper passing 66-7-315 10.00

Controlled access

violation 66-7-320 10.00

Controlled access

violation 66-7-321 10.00

Improper turning 66-7-322 10.00

Improper turning 66-7-323 10.00

Improper turning 66-7-325 10.00

Following too closely 66-7-318 10.00

Failure to yield 66-7-328 through 66-7-331 10.00

Failure to yield 66-7-332 50.00

Failure to yield 66-7-332.1 25.00

Pedestrian violation 66-7-333 10.00

Pedestrian violation 66-7-340 10.00

Failure to stop 66-7-342 and 66-7-344

through 66-7-346 10.00

Railroad-highway grade

crossing violation 66-7-341 and 66-7-343 150.00

Passing school bus 66-7-347 100.00

Failure to signal 66-7-325 through 66-7-327 10.00

Failure to secure load 66-7-407 100.00

Operation without oversize-

overweight permit 66-7-413 50.00

Transport of reducible

load with special

permit more than six miles

from a border crossing 66-7-413 100.00

Improper equipment 66-3-801

through 66-3-851 25.00

Improper equipment 66-3-901 20.00

Improper emergency

signal 66-3-853 through 66-3-857 10.00

Minor on motorcycle

without helmet 66-7-356 300.00

Operation interference 66-7-357 50.00

Littering 66-7-364 300.00

Improper parking 66-7-349 through 66-7-352

and 66-7-353 5.00

Improper parking 66-3-852 5.00

Failure to dim lights 66-3-831 10.00

Riding in or towing

occupied house trailer 66-7-366 5.00

Improper opening of doors 66-7-367 5.00

No slow-moving vehicle

emblem or flashing

amber light 66-3-887 5.00

Open container - first

violation 66-8-138 25.00

Texting while driving -

first violation 66-7-374 [25.00] 100.00

Texting while driving -

subsequent violation 66-7-374 [50.00] 200.00

Using a handheld mobile

communication device

while driving a

commercial motor [Section 1 of this

vehicle 2016 act] 66-7-375 [25.00] 100.00

Using a handheld mobile

communication device

while driving a

commercial motor

vehicle - subsequent [Section 1 of this

violation 2016 act] 66-7-375 [50.00] 200.00.

B. The term "penalty assessment misdemeanor" does not include a violation that has caused or contributed to the cause of an accident resulting in injury or death to a person.

C. When an alleged violator of a penalty assessment misdemeanor elects to accept a notice to appear in lieu of a notice of penalty assessment, a fine imposed upon later conviction shall not exceed the penalty assessment established for the particular penalty assessment misdemeanor and probation imposed upon a suspended or deferred sentence shall not exceed ninety days.

D. The penalty assessment for speeding in violation of Paragraph (4) of Subsection A of Section 66-7-301 NMSA 1978 is twice the penalty assessment established in Subsection A of this section for the equivalent miles per hour over the speed limit.

E. Upon a second conviction for operation without a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978, the penalty assessment shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500).

F. Upon a second conviction for transport of a reducible load with a permit for excessive size or weight pursuant to Subsection N of Section 66-7-413 NMSA 1978 more than six miles from a port-of-entry facility on the border with Mexico, the penalty assessment shall be five hundred dollars ($500). Upon a third or subsequent conviction, the penalty assessment shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000)."

SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2017.

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