A Brief Introduction to New Mexico Traffic Fines
New Mexico traffic fines are actually relatively lax when compared to most states, which is due both to New Mexico’s origins as the frontier of the American West as well as its traditionally disparate population distribution. That doesn’t mean that New Mexico traffic fines can’t be severe, because they can be, or hard to understand, because they can be rather difficult. In fact, there are both what we might call plain New Mexico traffic fines and hidden New Mexico traffic fines, and it’s impossible to understand your particular scenario if you don’t know what both of those are for you.
A Sampling of New Mexico Traffic Fines
In all honesty, there is no shortage to the numerous regular New Mexico traffic fines that may be incurred by operating a motor vehicle with disregard to the rules of the road. Therefore, it’d be too difficult to list them all right here. The list below is just a short sampling of the different New Mexico traffic fines alongside the statutes that offenders have violated:
• Failure to obey a stop sign: $10
• Failure to obey a traffic signal: $10
• Driving below the minimum speed: $10
• Improper passing: $10
• Improper turning: $10
• Speeding, from 1 to 10 miles per hour: $15
• Speeding, from 11 to 15 miles per hour: $30
• Speeding, from 16 to 20 miles per hour: $65
• Speeding, from 21 to 25 miles per hour: $100
• Speeding, from 26 to 30 miles per hour: $125
• Speeding, from 31 to 35 miles per hour: $150
• Speeding, from 36 miles per hour and over: $200
The Disciplinary Point System
All those are just the New Mexico traffic fines that are out in the open. There are also the hidden New Mexico traffic fines associated with the point system. Each ticket comes with an number of points that signal to your car insurance company that you’ve committed a traffic violation. The car insurance company raises your premium, and therefore the points acts as a hidden New Mexico traffic fine.
One more caveat is that the more points a person accumulates, the closer they come to losing their license. If you get from 7 to 10 points on your license, your license will be suspended for three months. If you get 12 points in one year, you’ll lose your license for an entire year.
Here is the break-down of different point assignments for different violations:
• Using the wrong signal—2 Points
• Child restraint issues—2 Points
• Failure to signal—2 Points
• Careless driving—3 Points
• Failure to yield—3 Points
• Illegal left turn—3 Points
• Lane violations—3 Points
• Illegal passing—3 Points
• Speeding 6-15 mph over the posted limit—3 Points
• Failure to offer right-of-way to an emergency vehicle—4 Points
• Speeding 16-25 mph over the posted limit—5 Points
• Reckless driving—6 Points
• Speed contests—6 Points
• Not stopping for a school bus—6 Points
• Going 26 mph or more over the speed limit—8 Points
