NM HM23

Requests the Regulation and Licensing Department and Motor Vehicle Division to study the potential benefits of reestablishing a statewide motor vehicle safety inspection program during the 2026 legislative interim

Study must include a recommendation on how to efficiently implement such a program, with results reported to the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, the governor, and the New Mexico Legislative Council

Cites evidence that states with motor vehicle safety inspection programs experience 10.3% fewer roadway deaths compared to the national average, according to NHTSA data

Notes that 15 states currently require periodic safety inspections, and Missouri's 2024 inspections detected defective equipment on approximately one in five vehicles

Acknowledges New Mexico previously had a motor vehicle safety inspection program in the 1970s that was discontinued due to implementation difficulties