The driver of a vehicle, the autonomous motor vehicle operator or the autonomous commercial motor vehicle operator, if applicable, involved in an accident resulting in bodily injury to or death of any person or property damage to an apparent extent of five hundred dollars ($500) or more shall immediately, by the quickest means of communication, give notice of the accident to the police department if the accident occurs within a municipality; otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the New Mexico state police. In the case of an autonomous motor vehicle or autonomous commercial motor vehicle operating without a human driver, the owner of that motor vehicle or person working on behalf of the vehicle owner shall be responsible for providing the notice required by this section. History: 1941 Comp., § 68-2306, enacted by Laws 1953, ch. 139, § 44; 1953 Comp., § 64-17-6; Laws 1967, ch. 12, § 1; recompiled as 1953 Comp., § 64-7-206, by Laws 1978, ch. 35, § 395; 1991, ch. 160, § 15; 2021, ch. 114, § 5. The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, included autonomous motor vehicle operators and autonomous commercial motor vehicle operators in an existing provision that requires a driver involved in an accident to give notice of the accident to law enforcement, and, in the case of an autonomous motor vehicle or autonomous commercial motor vehicle operating without a human driver, placed the responsibility of providing notice on the owner of the motor vehicle or the person working on behalf of the owner of the vehicle owner; and after "The driver of a vehicle", added "the autonomous motor vehicle operator or the autonomous commercial motor vehicle operator, if applicable", and after "New Mexico state police", added "In the case of an autonomous motor vehicle or autonomous commercial motor vehicle operating without a human driver, the owner of that motor vehicle or person working on behalf of the vehicle owner shall be responsible for providing the notice required by this section.". The 1991 amendment, effective July 1, 1991, inserted "bodily" preceding "injury"; substituted "five hundred dollars ($500)" for "one hundred dollars ($100)"; and made minor stylistic changes. Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Construction and application of "amnesty" provision whereby automobile driver leaving scene of accident may report to police within stated time without risk of use of his report against him, 36 A.L.R.4th 907. Admissibility of police officer's testimony at state trial relating to motorist's admissions made in or for automobile accident report required by law, 46 A.L.R.4th 291.
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