2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 66 - Motor Vehicles › Article 7 - Traffic Laws; Signs, Signals and Markings; Accidents; Weight and Size; Traffic Safety › Part 2 - SIGNS, SIGNALS AND MARKINGS › Section 66-7-105 - Traffic-control signal legend.

Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted arrows, succesively [successively], one at a time or in combination, only the colors green, yellow and red shall be used, except for special pedestrian control signals carrying a word legend, and the lights indicated [indicate] and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians:
A. green alone:
(1) vehicular traffic facing the signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless a sign at the place prohibits either turn. Vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited; and
(2) pedestrians facing the signal may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk;
B. yellow alone when shown following the green signal:
(1) vehicular traffic facing the signal is warned that the red signal will be exhibited immediately thereafter and the vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection when the red signal is exhibited except to turn as hereinafter provided; and
(2) no pedestrian facing the signal shall enter the roadway until the green is shown alone unless authorized to do so by a pedestrian "walk" signal;
C. red alone:
(1) vehicular traffic facing the signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if there is no crosswalk, then before entering the intersection, and may turn right after standing until the intersection may be entered safely, provided that such vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians and vehicles lawfully in or approaching the intersection. Whenever the local authorities in their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that a turn as hereinabove provided should be prohibited at a particular intersection, such turn may be prohibited by the posting of signs at the intersection indicating that such a turn is prohibited;
(2) vehicular traffic on a one-way street facing the signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or if there is no crosswalk, then before entering the intersection, and if a left turn onto a one-way street in the proper direction is intended, may turn left after stopping until the intersection may be entered safely, provided that such vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrains [pedestrians] and vehicles lawfully in or approaching the intersection;
(3) whenever the local authorities in their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that a turn as hereinabove provided should be prohibited at a particular intersection, such turn may be prohibited by the posting of signs at the intersection indicating that such a turn is prohibited; and
(4) no pedestrian facing the signal shall enter the roadway until the green is shown alone unless authorized to do so by a pedestrian "walk" signal;
D. red with green arrow:
(1) vehicular traffic facing the signal may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the arrow, but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection; and
(2) no pedestrian facing the signal shall enter the roadway unless he can do so safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic;
E. if an official traffic-control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section apply except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of any such sign or marking, the stop shall be made at the signal; and
F. when a sign is in place permitting a turn, vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal may cautiously enter the intersection to make the turn indicated by the sign after stopping as required by Paragraphs (1) and (2) of Subsection C of this section. Vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
History:
1941 Comp., § 68-2205, enacted by Laws 1953, ch. 139, § 34; 1953 Comp., § 64-16-5; Laws 1969, ch. 169, § 3; 1971, ch. 37, § 1; 1973, ch. 158, § 1; 1977, ch. 72, § 1; recompiled as 1953 Comp., § 64-7-105, by Laws 1978, ch. 35, § 385.
ANNOTATIONS
Cross references.
— For definitions applicable to this section,
see
66-1-4 to 66-1-4.20 NMSA 1978.
For the penalty assessment for failure to obey signal,
see
66-8-116 NMSA 1978.
Bracketed material.
— The bracketed material in the introductory paragraph and in Subsection C(2) was inserted by the compiler and it is not a part of the law.
Pedestrian has right-of-way when no signal of traffic-control type.
Ward v. Ray
, 1967-NMSC-264, 78 N.M. 566, 434 P.2d 388.
No contributory negligence if driver careful and did not hear siren.
— Plaintiff who stopped in obedience to red light at street intersection, waited when green light went on until cross traffic had come to stop, and not hearing any siren and seeing no obstacle in immediate pathway, proceeded through intersection at 10 miles per hour was not contributorily negligent as to intersectional collision with fire truck.
Tiedebohl v. Springer
, 1951-NMSC-044, 55 N.M. 295, 232 P.2d 694.
Commission must approve all traffic-control devices.
— By virtue of the specific provisions of this section, municipalities may not permit right turns on red lights unless the auxiliary signal provided by Subsection D thereof is also present, and insofar as highways under the jurisdiction of the commission are concerned, all traffic control devices of whatever nature are subject to the approval of the commission. 1953 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 53-5837.