Judge: 12 points on your license, you’re history

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Cibola County Magistrate Court Presiding Judge Jackie Fisher says there is no way to keep people from driving without licenses or insurance unless they are in jail, and state law will not allow judges to place people there just to prevent them from driving.

Many of those convicted in Magistrate Court do not have a license and just as many, if not more, have no insurance.

“Drivers just do not realize what can happen to their driver’s license as a result of various traffic citations,” Fisher says.

A New Mexico driver’s license has up to 12 points that can be deducted as a result of infractions, from one point to losing the license for a year on the first DWI conviction in a Magistrate or District Court.

“I wanted local drivers to understand what can happen to them,” Fisher said.

He issued a list of traffic citations and the number of points each citation will remove from the total of 12.

“You can have more than one traffic ticket that totals up to 12 points, and then you can lose your license.”

Traffic convictions
Speeding 6-15 mph above the posted speed limit: 3 points
Speeding 16-25 mph above the posted speed limit: 5 points

Speeding 26 mph above the posted speed limit: 8 points
Passing a school bus that is loading or dropping of students, reckless driving, contest racing: 6 points

Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle: 4 points

Careless driving; failing to obey a traffic sign or signal; tailgating, failing to yield, backing up, turning or passing improperly; driving on the wrong side of the road: 3 points

Driving with defective brakes; failing to signal, or signaling incorrectly; failing to signal a change in directions; overloading a vehicle with passengers or cargo, failure to use a seat belt or child-safety seat: 2 points.

Fisher says drivers who get seven to 10 points in a year, along with a judge’s recommendation the driver take a break from driving, can have the driver’s license can be suspended for three months.

Other results of getting points on a driver’s license beside revocation, suspension or loss, can be an increase in insurance premiums or loss of insurance entirely.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.