Compare New Mexico Car Insurance Rates [2023]

A state of towering mountains and white sand deserts, New Mexico’s diverse landscape offers a variety of beautiful and historical landmarks to visit. Living in this beautiful state, however, requires practical life purchases — such as car insurance. Car insurance is a headache few people like to worry about. Researching car insurance is often frustrating. While every provider promises that its rates and coverages are the best, comparison of companies usually proves these promises false.To help you decide what companies are actually worth your time, we’ve taken an in-depth look at New Mexico insurance providers. In addition, not only will we cover what insurance New Mexico requires, but also the best providers, state laws, and must-know facts.Enter your ZIP code above to start comparing rates today in our FREE online tool!

New Mexico Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

You spend hundreds each year on car insurance. This dent in your wallet is painful, which is why most people want to make sure they are paying for something worthwhile.How do you know what coverages and rates best fit your needs? The types of car insurance options can be overwhelming to sift through.Luckily, we’ve covered New Mexico’s coverages and rates, so that you can see how rates compare and what coverages best fit your needs.Let’s jump right into it!

New Mexico Minimum Coverage Requirements

Is car insurance required in New Mexico? Yes, every state has different insurance coverage requirements and costs, as we can see below.

In New Mexico, drivers need bodily injury and property damage coverages.https://youtu.be/ZCgGDZxv1toYou need to have bodily injury and property damage insurance in the following MINIMUM amounts.

• $25,000 for injuries per person in an accident
• $50,000 for total injuries per accident
• $10,000 for property damages caused by an accident

New Mexico also requires you to have uninsured motorist coverage, but you can opt out of this coverage. If you want to refuse uninsured motorist coverage, you will need to sign a form and give it to your insurance provider.Bear in mind, though, that uninsured motorist coverage is highly recommended, and we will cover the reasons why shortly.Not having New Mexico’s minimum coverages is illegal and could result in fines, jail time, and license/registration suspension. As well, take note that these are the minimum coverages — many experts encourage drivers to purchase additional coverages in case of an accident.This is because once your insurer’s minimum coverage limits run out, you will have to pay the rest of the bills yourself.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

Anytime you are pulled over, register a car, or are in an accident, you must provide a form of financial responsibility. Financial responsibility forms prove that you are abiding by the law by having minimum auto insurance coverage.Acceptable forms of financial responsibility are:

• A current insurance ID card
• Copy of current auto insurance policy
• A letter from your auto insurance company verifying that you have auto insurance coverage

New Mexico also has an electronic verification system that tracks the insurance status of all vehicles registered in New Mexico. Officers can access this database whenever they pull you over. If you don’t have the proper insurance, New Mexico will suspend your car’s registration.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

Every year, you have a certain amount of money to spend or save after taxes — your per capita disposable income. In every state, the per capita disposable income is different.

New Mexico’s average per capita disposable income is $33,358. This means New Mexico residents have $2,779 to spend each month on living expenses — from groceries to car insurance.

So how do these numbers factor into car insurance? Every year, New Mexico residents pay an average of $920 for car insurance (or $76 a month). This means $76 is deducted out of your monthly budget for car insurance.This number might make you wince a little, but New Mexico’s car insurance costs are actually slightly lower than the countywide insurance average of $981. In fact, the premium average is over a thousand in some states!

Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in NM (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

What coverages should you have? Some coverages, such as liability car insurance, are required. A good insurance plan, though, has all three core coverages. We have listed the main coverages in New Mexico below.

New Mexico’s core coverage costs are all lower than the countrywide average, which is good news.

Additional Liability Coverages in NM

The two main coverages that are frequently added onto insurance plans are Medpay and uninsured/underinsured coverages. Here’s why you should consider them.

• Medpay coverage covers yours and others’ medical costs in an accident, from ambulance rides to treatment.
• Uninsured and underinsured coverage protects you if you are in an accident with an uninsured driver. If uninsured drivers are at fault, they won’t be able to pay off all the costs of an accident (unless you are extremely lucky).

Uninsured/underinsured coverage is one of the most important coverages you can get in New Mexico. Why? Because the state of New Mexico ranks as 3rd in the U.S. for its incredibly high number of uninsured drivers!

In New Mexico, 20 percent of the drivers on the road with you are uninsured, which is a high potential to be involved in risky accidents with uninsured drivers who can’t pay off accident costs!

Let’s take a look at these additional coverages’ loss ratios. Basically, a loss ratio shows how well a company is doing, and we want to see how well Medpay and uninsured/underinsured coverages are performing in New Mexico.

Unfortunately, both coverages’ loss ratios have gone down slightly. Why is this bad?A low loss ratio means a company isn’t paying out enough claims, meaning you have less of a chance to receive claim approval. On the other hand, a high loss ratio that is over 100 percent means a company is paying out too many claims. Companies that do this risk going bankrupt.Bottom line? Make sure to always check a company’s loss ratios, and make sure to have additional liability coverage if you live in New Mexico. All it takes is one accident to deplete your savings if you aren’t sufficiently protected!

Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

We’ve talked about required, core, and additional coverages. Let’s take a look at more additional insurance options — add-on protections. These extra options are affordable and allow you to pick and chose which protections work best for you.Below, we have listed some of the main add-ons that are available at insurers.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance, such as towing
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-as-You-Drive Insurance

Add any of the above coverages for a customized insurance plan. These coverages are great for when you want just a little extra coverage or want a specific service (such as roadside assistance).

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in NM

Did you know that rates are affected by various demographic factors? From where you live to your marital status, it all plays a role in how much insurers are charging you. We have partnered with Quadrant to bring you this information, which reveals significant factors in rates.

The younger you are, the more you will pay! Insurers consider teenage drivers a higher risk because they are new drivers, which means insurance companies charge significantly MORE for younger drivers.

Luckily, if parents add their children to the parents’ policy rather than making teenagers purchase insurance on their own, there isn’t such a dramatic jump in rates.

Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code in New Mexico

The area you live in also plays a role in rates. Just like some places are more expensive when purchasing homes, car insurance rates vary from area to area.

Check the ZIP codes below to see the average cost in your area, as well as the average costs of different insurance providers.

Between the most and least expensive ZIP codes, there is a $1,416 difference in price! That’s a significant change in price based purely on where you live.Prefer to search for rates by city rather than by ZIP code? Take a look at the table below.

There is a $1,206 difference between the most and least expensive cities in New Mexico. This may seem unfair, but some areas carry more risks than others, such as crime rate or natural disasters, that hike up insurers’ prices.

New Mexico Car Insurance Companies

With over a million cars registered in New Mexico, there is no lack of insurance companies offering car insurance. With so many companies clamoring for your attention, it can be hard to know which company is right for your needs.It can be so daunting, in fact, that most people stick with the same provider for years even if their provider isn’t right for them.We want to help you make this difficult choice, which is why we have outlined companies’ ratings, complaint records, market share, and average rates.

The Largest Companies’ Financial Ratings

The financial ratings of a company tell a customer how likely the company is to succeed in the future. One of the most popular financial ratings is an AM Best rating, which measures a company’s financial health.

AM Best describes its financial rating scale as the following (we have only included the explanations of the above companies’ ratings).

• A++ and A+ (Superior). AM Best considers these companies to have a superior ability to meet future financial obligations (paying claims, etc.).
• A and A- (Excellent). These companies have an excellent ability to meet future financial obligations (paying claims, etc.).

Part of determining a company’s financial strength is looking at its loss ratio. All of the largest companies in New Mexico have loss ratios above 50 percent and below 100 percent, which is great.

Companies with the Best Ratings

JD Power ranks companies based purely on customer satisfaction. The 2018 study looked at responses from 44,622 auto insurance customers and judged companies’ customer satisfaction on the following five factors:

1. Interaction
2. Policy Offerings
3. Price
4. Billing Process/Policy Information
5. Claims

To see how JD power ranked companies in New Mexico, take a look at the graphic below. Bear in mind that the worst rated companies may not be terrible at customer service, it’s just that other companies perform better!USAA is the cheapest provider in New Mexico, but USAA also ranked among the best in JD Power’s ranking (though USAA is only available to U.S. military personnel). As well, State Farm, one of New Mexico’s largest providers, is ranked as better than most.Let’s switch to another aspect of customer satisfaction — customer complaints. Read our State Farm car insurance review for more information.

Companies with Most Complaints in New Mexico

We’ve looked at the largest companies AM Best ratings and loss ratios, but let’s now look further into customer satisfaction. Below, you will see the complaint ratio for the ten largest companies in New Mexico.

Company	Total Complaints 2017	Complaint Ratio 2017
State Farm Group	1482	0.44
Liberty Mutual Group	222	5.95
Progressive Group	120	0.75
Allstate Insurance Group	163	0.5
Iowa Farm Bureau Group	32	0.77
Hartford Fire & Casualty Group	9	4.68
Geico	2	0
USAA Group	2	0
Sentry Insurance Group	1	6.53
Farmers Insurance Group	0	0

Some of the companies have a high number of complaints but low complaint ratios — these numbers are relevant to the number of customers a company has. What may seem like a large number of complaints may actually only be a small percentage of the company’s customers.And of course, how a company handles customers’ dissatisfaction is also important.Let’s move onto another important factor that is always on the forefront of shoppers’ minds — prices.

New Mexico Car Insurance Rates by Company

Every company bases its rates on a number of different factors. To help you find the best rates in New Mexico, we have partnered with Quadrant to bring you a full breakdown of companies’ rates.

The cost of rates varies SIGNIFICANTLY from carrier to carrier. USAA is 50 percent less than the state average, whereas Allstate is 17 percent over the state average!

Commute Rates

Did you know that sometimes your commute distance can impact your rates? At some companies, a longer commute means higher prices!

At Geico, a longer commute will raise your rate by $136! Small increases like this can add up into a significant yearly bill, so those with longer commutes may wish to look into companies that don’t increase prices based on a commute.

Coverage Level Rates

A high coverage level is always best, but sometimes the fear of a high price difference can discourage people from purchasing a high coverage plan. This doesn’t need to be the case. By shopping around for providers, you can find a company that has economical price increases.

At companies like Nationwide, there is only a $138 difference in price between low and high coverage. This amounts to only an extra $11.50 a month! When coverage costs are compared like this, the extra payments seem much more manageable.So make sure to shop around for providers, as you could go from low to high coverage for a small monthly price increase.

Credit History Rates

Did you know that your credit history often has more of an influence on your rates than your driving record? The average credit score in the U.S. is 675, and unfortunately, New Mexico’s average is slightly below this.

New Mexico’s average credit score is 659, which means that rates could be slightly higher for New Mexico residents who have below average credit scores.

Take a look at the table below to see how credit history has a SIGNIFICANT impact on your rates!

A poor credit history can cost you HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars in increased rates. That’s a hefty price to pay for having poor or fair credit!https://youtu.be/LY75m6tHwIM

Driving Record Rates

Another significant factor in determining rates is your driving record. The cleaner your record, the lower your rates. After all, a bad driving record shows a company that you are a higher-risk driver — which means the company has a higher likelihood of having to pay out claims to you.

Group	Driving Record	Average Annual Rate
Geico	With 1 DUI	$8,351.31
Allstate	With 1 DUI	$4,877.87
Nationwide	With 1 DUI	$4,765.82
Farmers	With 1 accident	$4,694.44
Farmers	With 1 DUI	$4,584.30
Allstate	With 1 accident	$4,561.80
Farmers	With 1 speeding violation	$4,334.25
Geico	With 1 accident	$4,217.02
Allstate	With 1 speeding violation	$3,898.80
Nationwide	With 1 accident	$3,688.87
Progressive	With 1 accident	$3,686.49
Farmers	Clean record	$3,646.60
Allstate	Clean record	$3,463.66
Progressive	With 1 speeding violation	$3,184.99
USAA	With 1 DUI	$3,122.21
Nationwide	With 1 speeding violation	$2,975.73
Progressive	With 1 DUI	$2,904.96
Progressive	Clean record	$2,696.21
Geico	Clean record	$2,631.09
Geico	With 1 speeding violation	$2,631.09
Nationwide	Clean record	$2,625.87
State Farm	With 1 DUI	$2,387.59
State Farm	With 1 accident	$2,387.59
State Farm	With 1 speeding violation	$2,387.59
USAA	With 1 accident	$2,372.97
State Farm	Clean record	$2,197.36
USAA	With 1 speeding violation	$1,987.15
USAA	Clean record	$1,706.19

Speeding, accidents, and DUIs can all raise your rates by hundreds or thousands of dollars. At companies like Geico, just one DUI will raise your rate $5,720! Just one more incentive to never drive drunk!

Number of Insurers in New Mexico

In New Mexico, there are 15 domestic providers and 837 foreign providers.Domestic and foreign insurers may make you think of product production inside and outside of the U.S., but these terms mean something different in regard to insurance. Foreign insurers simply operate under the laws of multiple states in the U.S., whereas a domestic insurer only operates under New Mexico’s state laws.This means a domestic provider only sells insurance in New Mexico, but foreign providers sell insurance in multiple states.Now that we’ve covered every aspect of companies — from rates to provider type — let’s move onto another important part of driving in New Mexico. Up next, state laws!

New Mexico State Laws

Following state laws is just as important as having insurance! Knowing what is required of drivers on the road will help keep both you and others safe. The tricky part is that state laws are different across U.S. states.What is legal in one state may be illegal in another. You can forgo a motorcycle helmet in one state but will get a ticket when cruising without a helmet through another. You should always buy motorcycle insurance, though. So how do you know what to pay attention to when driving in New Mexico? The last thing you want is a ticket!Don’t fear, we have covered all of New Mexico’s state requirements for driving! Continue reading to learn about everything from insurance requirements to road rules!

New Mexico Car Insurance Laws

New Mexico law requires ALL drivers to minimum liability insurance. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), there is a specific procedure in place when filing for mandatory car insurance in New Mexico.Basically, insurers must file rates and forms with New Mexico Insurance providers prior to use. This is to make sure drivers are properly insured with the minimum liability insurance before they drive on New Mexico’s roads.So make sure that you are covered with the proper insurance and approved by the state of New Mexico before driving.

High-Risk Insurance

One more reason to try and avoid accidents and DUIs — you may be considered a high-risk driver. While New Mexico doesn’t require high-risk drivers to file an SR-22 to purchase high-risk insurance, high-risk drivers’ rates will increase.Below are some of the most common reasons that cause drivers to earn the label of high-risk.

• Serious violations (such as DUI’s or reckless driving)
• Accidents that involve injury or significant property damage
• A bad driving record with consistent violations
• Being a new and inexperienced driver
• Owning a high-risk vehicle (such as an exotic car or a sports cars)
• Letting your car insurance lapse
• Being over 70 years of age

If insurers refuse to cover you as a high-risk driver, you can turn to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Insurance Plan program. This program will help assist you in finding car insurance.

Low-Cost Insurance

New Mexico doesn’t have a government-sponsored car insurance program for low-income families (only three states have this), but this doesn’t mean car insurance has to be an unattainable goal.Ask your provider about some of the most common discounts below. There are also multiple other discounts that your provider may give you, so make sure to ask for a full list!

• Good driver discount
• Good student discount (usually requires a B+ average)
• Anti-theft features
• Safety device features
• Multi-car discount

https://youtu.be/ypSeosrJNZwOf course, having a good credit score and driving record will make the biggest difference in your rates!

Windshield Coverage

Hot temperatures in New Mexico are common, especially in New Mexico’s desert areas. Did you know that these high temperatures can cause cracked windshields?The intense heat from the sun can cause the glass to expand and crack, which is why you should always park your car in the shade. Parking in the shade or a garage also protects you from burning yourself with that hot seatbelt!Need to have a windshield replaced or repaired because of a heat wave? We have bad and good news.The bad news is that New Mexico law doesn’t require insurers to replace windshields. The good news is that comprehensive insurance will usually pay for the costs of repair or replacement! Insurers may also choose aftermarket parts as long as these parts are of similar make and quality. Yet another reason it pays to have complete coverage!

Automobile Insurance Fraud in New Mexico

According to the Insurance Information Institute (iii), over $$4.8 billion was stolen in auto insurance fraud in 2007! These huge losses have made insurance fraud of interest in every state, with bureaus created specifically to track insurance fraud. Committing insurance fraud in New Mexico is a crime and will result in fines and/or jail time.What qualifies as insurance fraud? While not being honest on claims is a sure way to commit fraud, here are two specific classifications.

1. Adding “extra” onto a claim. You based the claim on a legitimate accident but then added in a few false expenses.
2. Creating a false claim for something that never happened, such as staging an accident.

Committing insurance fraud is a sure way to land yourself in serious trouble, so make sure to always record claims as accurately as possible. After all, there are bureaus checking and doublechecking the honesty of claims!

Statute of Limitations

After you are in an accident, there is a limited window of time in which to file a claim, also known as a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations prevents claim proceedings from dragging on for years or even decades past an accident.In New Mexico, there are different statutes of limitations for personal injury versus property damage, so make sure you are aware of how much time you have to file claims.

• Personal Injury Claim: Three years
• Property Damage Claim: Four years

Years may seem like a long time, but make sure to not put off filing that claim until tomorrow, as you could forget altogether!

Unfair Claims Law

New Mexico has a law that works to prevent unfair claim practices by insurers. How are insurers unfair on claims? They may conveniently overlook all the benefits that are owed to you in the event of an accident.Of course, while this law is useful, it is also helpful to know what is on your insurance plan so that you will automatically notice if something is missing! This way, you can feel confident that no-one is leaving out the valuable benefits that insurers owe you.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

If you drive without insurance, you are breaking the law. First offenders will receive the following penalties.

• Fine up to $300
• Imprisonment up to 90 days
• License suspension

For those with insurance, all you need to do to avoid these penalties is to provide proof of insurance. You may remember that the following are accepted as proof of financial responsibility.

• A current insurance ID card
• Copy of current auto insurance policy
• A letter from your auto insurance company that verifies you have auto insurance coverage

You must provide proof of insurance anytime you are pulled over or are in an accident. If you don’t have insurance, New Mexico will suspend your car’s registration.Below is the process of intent to suspend registration, according to New Mexico’s Motor Vehicle Department.

1. 30 days before a notice of intent to suspend registration, you will receive a Verification of Mandatory Automobile Insurance Letter. At this point, you will need to get verification from your insurer.
2. If you don’t have insurance or fail to provide proof of insurance within 30 days, you will receive a Notice of Suspension of Registration Letter. You must then send in your vehicle registration and license plate within ten days of the notice.

To avoid the headache of this process and criminal prosecution, make sure to have insurance in the first place and to always have some form of insurance verification on you when driving.

Teen Driver Laws

In New Mexico, teens must be at least 15 years old to get a learner’s license (also known as a permit). Before teens can apply for a restricted license or license, though, they must meet the following requirements.

If teen drivers receive a restricted license (rather than a regular adult license), they must follow the following rules and regulations.

New Mexico intends for these rules to keep new drivers safe, as they limit distractions for new drivers. A study by AAA found that the risk of crashing goes up whenever teen drivers add teenage passengers, which is why more and more states are restricting passenger type.https://youtu.be/jCPpA05Q41k

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Older drivers also have special restrictions. New Mexico requires its older residents to follow more strict renewal procedures, such as renewing a license every year and providing proof of adequate vision when over 75 years old.

Unfortunately, if you are a New Mexico resident over 75 years old, you are not allowed to renew your license online or through the mail, which means you must visit in person every year.

License Renewal Procedures

We’ve covered young and old drivers, so let’s now take a look at license rules for the general population.

If you choose to renew online or by mail, you can go eight years without an in-person trip to the DMV (unless a new picture is needed).

New Residents

If you are moving to New Mexico, you must make sure that your car insurance is changed to match New Mexico’s requirements. You must have bodily injury and property damage coverages in the following amounts.

• $25,000 for injuries per person in an accident
• $50,000 for total injuries per accident
• $10,000 for property damages caused by an accident

Remember, you also need uninsured motorist coverage, but you may choose to reject it if you wish. If so, contact your insurance provider and make sure to sign the proper forms.You also need to make a trip to the DMV to get a New Mexico driver’s license and contact your insurance provider with your change of address. So make sure to add these necessary steps to your to-do list!

Careless and Reckless Driving

New Mexico classifies careless and reckless driving as a crime. Let’s take a closer look at the classification of each and what they entail.Careless driving is a less serious crime than reckless driving and is a misdemeanor. What would earn you a charge of careless driving? Anytime you drive in a careless way — such as speeding in the rain or taking curves too fast.The penalties for careless driving are below.

Paying attention to the road and driving carefully will prevent you from earning a careless driving charge.Reckless driving is much more serious, as it involves driving so recklessly that the driver endangers themselves or others. The penalties for reckless driving are stricter than careless driving, especially for second and subsequent offenses.

If you have seven or more points on your driving record, New Mexico will suspend your driver’s license in addition to the penalties above.We have one more bit of information about reckless and careless driving. If a driver is convicted of reckless driving while under the influence, he or she can try to submit a plea for a lesser charge — also known as “wet reckless.”

Rules of the Road

Knowing the rules of the road is one of the most important things drivers need to learn. These rules are meant to keep drivers safe, but they only work if drivers actually follow them!So let’s dive into some of the most important road rules in New Mexico.

Fault vs. No-Fault

If you are in an accident and are at fault, you will be held liable for the accident costs. This is because New Mexico is an at-fault state. While you may wish New Mexico was a no-fault state, the process of claims in no-fault states is more complicated.https://youtu.be/j786W8judN0As well, drivers in no-fault states will sometimes be forced to pay costs themselves when insurance doesn’t fully cover the costs. Within an at-fault state, it is easier to process claims because you know who is supposed to pay the damage and injury costs.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

The keep right law is one of the simplest to follow. If you are driving SLOWER than the average speed of traffic around you, keep to the right. Easy enough to remember, as is the move over law.Unfortunately, most people aren’t following the move over law. This places others at significant risk of injury or death! Why?Because anytime drivers see a stationary emergency vehicle, recovery/repair vehicle, or any vehicle with flashing lights, they are required to move over. If unable to move over, drivers must slow down significantly or stop if necessary.When drivers don’t follow this law, they may hit a person walking on the side of the road around the vehicle! Every year, people are hit and killed by those who fail to move over.Don’t let this be you. Move over or slow down!

Speed Limits

Speed limits ensure drivers don’t drive at extremely high and dangerous speeds. Below are New Mexico’s speed limits for various road types.

These are the MAX speeds for New Mexico — speed limits may be less on roads across New Mexico, so pay attention to speed limit signs.

Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws

Another law that strives to protect drivers is New Mexico’s seat belt law. Being in an accident without a seat belt is deadly, as you could be easily thrown out of your vehicle.Check the seat belt laws below for more details on what New Mexico requires of drivers.

The seat belt law has been in place since 1986, and officers are allowed to pull over and ticket drivers for not wearing a seatbelt.Another important law is New Mexico’s child seat safety law. To keep children of all ages as safe as possible, follow the rules below for smaller passengers.

In New Mexico, there are also restrictions on riding in the cargo areas of pickup trucks. Unless you are 18 years of age or older, you are not allowed to ride in the back of a pickup.This is because children are at higher risk of being thrown out of pickups at sharp turns and other driving maneuvers.Bottom line? Exercise caution and always buckle up to ensure both your own and passengers’ safety.

Ridesharing

A wild night out with friends usually requires a ride back home. Or maybe you need a ride from the airport to the hotel. This is where companies like Uber and Lyft come in.If you are thinking of joining a ridesharing company, you will need to purchase ridesharing insurance from one of the following providers in New Mexico.

• Farmers
• Geico

You must also have a vehicle that is properly registered and passed inspection. Other basic requirements are listed below.

• Pass background check
• Be 21 years old or older
• At least three years of driving experience
• Clean driving record

If you meet the above requirements, there is a good chance you will qualify to be a driver at a ridesharing company.

Automation on the Road

Currently, New Mexico does not have any laws regulating the use of automated vehicles. Curious what qualifies a vehicle as automated? It may surprise you to learn that there are different levels of automation in cars — cruise control and lane departure warning are just some of the features that are considered automated.https://youtu.be/2ZcjOK3zZtk

DUI Laws

Drunk driving is one of the biggest causes of driving fatalities. In 2017 alone, 120 people died in New Mexico because of alcohol-impaired driving. In an attempt to prevent people from driving drunk, New Mexico has made driving drunk a crime.

A lifetime lookback or washout period means that a DWI will stay on your driving record indefinitely. This also means you will likely be a higher risk driver and will have to pay increased rates.For each offense, the penalties in New Mexico grow stricter.

https://youtu.be/g3vbWA7-X-QAll offenses after the fourth have the same penalties as the fourth in everything except jail time.

• 5th Offense: 1-2 years of jail time
• 6th Offense: 18-30 months of jail time
• 7th Offense: 2-3 years of jail time

These penalties may seem harsh, but they protect drivers by discouraging drunk driving. Hopefully, one charge will be enough to prevent any repeat offenders!

Marijuana-Impaired Driving

New Mexico doesn’t have a specific law about marijuana-impaired driving, but this doesn’t mean you can go smoke a joint and then drive — you will be charged with impaired driving.Impaired driving earns the same penalties as a DWI — fines, jail time, license suspension, and more. This is because people high are marijuana are NOT capable of driving, as shown in the study below.https://youtu.be/dw1HavgoK9E

Distracted Driving Laws

Distracted driving is dangerous. All it takes is a second with your eyes off the road to crash.https://youtu.be/gIozxztiCCgNew Mexico has regulated cellphone use for drivers, in an attempt to prevent accidents in drivers.

Now that we’ve covered New Mexico’s driving rules, let’s move onto another important topic — can’t-miss facts of New Mexico.

New Mexico Can’t-Miss Facts

Every state has different dangers to look out for. The last thing anyone wants is to be in an accident, but if you are aware of problems on the road, it will help you stay more alert when driving.

New Mexico’s Route 285 is one of the busiest and deadliest roads in New Mexico, with a high number of fatalities each year.

To help you know what to watch out for on New Mexico’s roads, we’ve compiled a list of must-know facts.Keep reading to learn about everything from vehicle theft to causes of driving fatalities!

Vehicle Theft in New Mexico

In every state, there are different types of cars that are stolen more than others. Some cars are simply more popular in states because of the different terrains and the options of local car dealers. If you live in New Mexico and own one of the following vehicles, there is a higher chance of it being stolen!

Since crime is worse in some areas, it makes sense that more cars are stolen in specific areas of New Mexico. The FBI created a 2013 report on vehicle theft by cities, so check to see if your city is a hotspot for crime.

If you live in Albuquerque, be careful. Over 3,000 vehicles were stolen in one year!Up next, we want to take a look at risky and harmful behavior. Every year, people are killed because of behaviors like speeding and drunk-driving.

New Mexico Crash Report

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), created an in-depth look at New Mexico’s crash statistics. The first number we want to look at is New Mexico’s crash rates by city. We want to note that these numbers are from a list of the worst cities in the U.S., but only one of New Mexico’s cities is included.

New Mexico has a lot of roadway cutting through beautiful rural areas. The downside to this is that more fatalities happen on rural roads than urban roads. Take a look below to see fatality rates by road type.

Did you know that person type also plays a type in fatalities? By person type, we don’t mean personality! Rather, the type of car being driven and whether the person is a car occupant or a pedestrian.

Just because you aren’t in a car doesn’t mean you can’t be injured by one! Pay careful attention when bicycling or walking by roadways.Ever wondered what crashes result in the worst tragedies? The next table shows fatalities by crash type.

Up next, we’ve included the five-year fatality trend for the top 10 counties in New Mexico. Check below to see if your county is a high-risk area.

Remember when we talked about speed limits? Well, the intention behind speed limits is to help prevent fatalities. Speeding doesn’t allow for much reaction time and can cause terrible impacts and rollovers.As you can see from the data below, speeding is a major contributor to fatalities.

Alcohol-impaired driving is also a devastating cause of fatalities.

Even more sobering is that a number of underage teenagers participate in drunk driving. New Mexico has one of the highest death rates for underage drunk driving.

While the national average is 1.2 underaged alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population, New Mexico’s rate is 2.6!

This sobering number also comes with statistics of underage arrests for drinking and driving. Naturally, states want to cut back on DWI’s, especially in underage drivers, but each state has different levels of enforcement.Let’s take a look at New Mexico’s arrest record to see how well it is managing underage drinking and driving.

New Mexico ranks 15th for its number of arrests, which means New Mexico is doing a decent job of attempting to catch and prevent teens from driving drunk.

EMS Response Time

If you are in an accident and are injured, most likely the preoccupying thought on your mind is when help will arrive. The sooner that ambulance arrives, the sooner you will be medically treated for dangerous or painful injuries.Because medical treatment is such an important part of accident aftercare, take a look at the following table to see how long New Mexico takes to provide help in emergencies.

In both rural and urban areas, you will be at the hospital in under an hour from the time of the call. Not too bad!

Transportation

Transportation is a vital part of our modern day society. From the dreaded work commute to visiting family members, most of this transportation is conducted via cars.In fact, most residents of New Mexico own at least two cars.In New Mexico, drivers spend about five minutes LESS commuting to work than other U.S. workers.You probably know the answer to what the most common method of transportation is — driving alone. There are a few other methods, though, that are less common.Now that we’ve covered transportation methods, let’s take a closer look at commute time in the form of traffic congestion. Unfortunately, one of New Mexico’s cities made it onto INRIX’s Global Traffic Scorecard, meaning it is one of the worst cities in the world for traffic.https://youtu.be/_9HazW-QyNsTake a closer look at the details below.

If you live in or are traveling through Albuquerque, be prepared for some time spent sitting in traffic.Now that you’ve made it through this comprehensive guide of the wonderful state of New Mexico, you are ready to buckle up and hit the roads! Want to start comparing rates today? Enter your ZIP code in our FREE online tool below!