Upcoming DCWF events:
May 16, 2012 - Ride of Silence
This event is a memorial ride for cyclists who have been injured or died while riding their bicycles.
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"No Bikes" on Chappell, click here
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Careless Driving Penalty Enhancement Bill
Passed with a unanimous vote on House Floor
But the session ended before the Senate could fully consider the bill. We are still pleased with this effort, and thank all who contacted their Senator or Representative asking for support. We reached more people, educating them about this issue.
The effort also got a lot of press coverage, which is a huge help to educating the public.
Op-Ed in Santa Fe New Mexican 12/27/2011
The crash that claimed Heather Reu's life in 2009 was caused by a distracted driver.
It is heartbreaking that there is a 2012 story to add to this page with almost the same script. Scott Duane Lane was killed January 10, 2012 by a driver so distracted she didn't even know she had run a red light.
KOAT-TV and KOB-TV have covered the Reu case and the ongoing efforts to increase the penalty options when crashes like this happen.
KOAT-TV reports on two crashes in Albuquerque last week and this legislative initiative on January 14, 2012.
NMMRO and DCWF will no doubt be back at work during the next legislative session (2013) so check back to see what you can do to improve the safety of all New Mexico road users!
Thank you!!
Basics about this legislation:
- House Bill 12 will increase the penalty options for a very distinct type of crash. The crash must be due to careless driving that causes the great bodily harm or death of another road user.
- Careless driving encompasses distracted and inattentive driving, including texting, cell phone use or any other activity that diverts a driver’s full attention from their duty to drive safely.
NMSA 66-8-114. Careless driving.
A. Any person operating a vehicle on the highway shall give his 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.
- Currently the maximum penalty for this misdemeanor is $300.00 and/or 90 days jail/probation no matter how minor or severe the consequences of the crash are.
- HB12 seeks to make the punishment better fit the crime by increasing the maximum penalty for careless driving that causes the death or great bodily harm of another road user to $1000.00 and/or 364 days jail/probation.
- HB12 will have no effect on existing laws or penalties for homicide by vehicle cases.
- HB12 applies equally to all road users, regardless of vehicle type used.
- Since 1979, when the mother of a teen age girl killed by a drunk driver started MADD, drivers across the country have become more aware of the risks of driving under the influence. The alcohol related crash and fatality rates have come down in the last 33 years because of two things: (1) the increased awareness of the risks and (2) the increased cost of the behavior. HB12 is following this successful model to raise awareness of the risks of careless driving and to put penalties on the books that will actually function as a deterrent.
- It is currently against the law to drive carelessly. We have to raise the cost of careless driving for NMSA 66-8-114 to be significant to drivers. HB12 will do just that.
- The New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization and Duke City Wheelmen Foundation, representing thousands of New Mexico road users, feel strongly that increasing the penalty options is an important component to achieving our goal of improving road safety.
- Both organizations engage in numerous other activities equally important in reaching this goal, including educating motorcyclists, bicyclists and motorists on how to share the road, raising awareness through rides, rallies, media outreach of all types and the distribution of safety equipment.
- We are asking for your support of HB12 in order to put this vital piece of the road safety puzzle into place.