Graduated Driver's License Information

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   NM Driving Manual

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

GRADUATED DRIVER'S

LICENSING SYSTEM

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2,000

Note:  A person under the age of 18 must have a full license having met the current law requirements on or before December 31, 1999 in order to be exempt from the Graduated Driver’s Licensing Law.  

OVERVIEW

Every day in New Mexico, teenagers under the age of 18 are receiving their first driver’s license. Many have looked forward to this day for years.  It presents itself as an opportunity for independence, an opportunity to be able to get from one place to another on their own, and even an opportunity to take one big step to becoming a responsible adult.  

Parents also see benefits in allowing their teenager to drive. Fewer trips to and from school and activities.  There is now someone willing (at first anyway) to run those errands to the post office, to the grocery store for that last item needed for dinner, or even to pick up a younger brother or sister from an activity. 

Many parents agree, allowing a teenager to drive saves them valuable time.  However, parents also have many worries.  Is my teenager a good driver?  Is my teenager able to recognize and avoid dangerous situations?  The bottom line, is my teenager going to return home safely? 

Across the United States, teenagers are commonly over represented in motor vehicle crashes.  In New Mexico (1998), teenagers only represented 7% of New Mexico’s licensed drivers, but they represented 17% of all motor vehicle crashes.  As shown by the following table, teenagers lead New Mexico in crash involvements per 1,000 drivers.  (see chart, below)  

In New Mexico, teenagers under the age of 18 are required to successfully complete a state approved Driver Education program.  When done correctly, driver education does set a solid foundation for a new driver.  It implements concepts of safe overall control of a motor vehicle, basic traffic laws and norms, and the importance of staying alcohol and drug free especially when driving.  However, students are only under the influence of a driver education instructor for a short period of time in comparison to how many hours one eventually drives. 

Driving is like learning any new skill.  For example, when learning how to swim, one generally starts in the shallow end with a great deal of supervision.  As one learns the basics and becomes more familiar with being in water, less supervision is needed and the restriction to the shallow end is not always necessary.  Practice and experience are the key to developing any skill.

January 1, 2000, New Mexico will implement a Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) system for all teenage drivers.  The new GDL law is based on providing the new driver an opportunity to develop the skill of driving over a period of time.