Source: http://www.drivinglaws.org/resources/new-mexico%E2%80%99s-reckless-driving-laws-and-penalties.htm
Timestamp: 2017-04-26 19:50:09
Document Index: 592869396

Matched Legal Cases: ['in fine', 'in fine', '§ 66', 'in fine', '§ 66', '§ 66']

New Mexico’s Reckless Driving Laws and Penalties | DrivingLaws.org
New Mexico’s Reckless Driving Laws and Penalties
Read about New Mexico’s reckless driving laws and the consequences of a conviction.
New Mexico defines “reckless driving” as driving:
First offense. For a first reckless driving violation, the motorist is looking at five to 90 days in jail and/or $25 to $100 in fines.
Second or subsequent offense. Anyone who’s convicted of a second or subsequent reckless driving offense faces ten days to six months in jail and/or $50 to $1,000 in fines.
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division can suspend the license of any motorist convicted of reckless driving for up to 90 days. A reckless driving conviction will also add six points to a motorist’s driving record. Accumulating seven or more points within a year can lead to license suspension.
(N.M. Stat. Ann. § 66-8-113 (2017); N.M. Admin. Code 18.19.5 (2017).)
New Mexico has another, less serious crime called “careless driving.” A motorist can be convicted of the offense for driving “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.”
Careless driving, like reckless driving, is a misdemeanor. Motorists who are convicted of careless driving face up to 90 days in jail and/or a maximum $300 in fines. A careless driving conviction will add three points to a motorist’s driving record.
(N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 66-8-7, 66-8-114 (2017); N.M. Admin. Code 18.19.5 (2017).)
In some states, it’s possible for a person who’s accused of driving under the influence (DUI) to “plea bargain” for a lesser charge. When a DUI is plea bargained down to a reckless driving charge, it’s sometimes called a “wet reckless.”
New Mexico law restricts plea bargain in some DUI cases. So whether a DUI can be pleaded down to a wet reckless depends on the circumstances. (N.M. Stat. Ann. § 66-8-102.1 (2017).)
(Read more about plea bargaining in New Mexico DUI cases.)