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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Komadina

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/06

HB

SHORT TITLE Study Permit For Certain Drivers To Speed

SM 41

ANALYST Peery

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

NA

NA

NA

NA

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Department of Transportation (DOT)

No Response Received From

Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Memorial 41 calls for the secretary of the Department of Public Safety to convene a meet-

ing that includes the secretaries of the Department of Transportation and Taxation and Revenue

Department to study the possibility of creating a “you’ve got a ticket to speed” program by

which drivers can purchase a permit to exceed the established speed limit. The memorial request

the secretaries consider the pragmatic steps required to implement such a program, including the

following:

•

whether drivers with a ticket to speed would require a license plate decal or other means of

signaling law enforcement;

•

whether the ticket to speed is limited to rural areas or also includes municipalities; and

•

whether the ticket to speed is better sold in one sum or in three, five mile-per-hour incre-

ments, up to fifteen miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

The memorial requests the secretaries jointly report to the interim legislative Health and Human

Services Committee before its October 2006 meeting.

Senate Memorial 41 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DPS reports New Mexico has come a long way in making highways safer and making it legal for

a person to speed could jeopardize progress. DPS states speed is a significant contributing factor

in accidents across the state and it is a fact that the greater the speed the more likely serious inju-

ries will occur when an accident happens. DPS also states the faster a vehicle is traveling, the

less time a driver has to react to a potential hazard. DPS reports making it legal to speed could

potentially increase the number of accidents occurring on our roadways, as well as the severity of

injuries sustained in these accidents.

DPS reports that when a vehicle is clocked speeding by a police officer, the officer will give

chase requiring the officer to travel at a high rate of speed to catch the vehicle. DPS states that it

would not be until the officer catches up to the vehicle that the officer would know that the vehi-

cle has a “ticket to speed”; therefore, unnecessarily endangering the lives of citizens, visitors to

New Mexico and the police officer.

DOT states from a technical and safety standpoint, this would be contradictory to the design and

operation practices adopted by the department and the American Association of State Highway

and Transportation Officials as there are documented studies showing significant safety concerns

and data associated with facilities having any allowable speed differentials to exist.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DOT reports there will be an administrative impact to the department in having to participate in

the development of the “ticket to speed” program in addition to any ongoing measures estab-

lished by such a program.

RLP/yr