PENALTY FOR CARELESS DRIVING & DEATH

HB 321 increases penalties for drivers whose careless driving causes death or serious injury. It amends New Mexico law to classify such incidents as a misdemeanor (previously unspecified), requiring punishment under existing misdemeanor sentencing rules. The bill specifically defines "great bodily harm" as injuries creating a high risk of death, causing severe disfigurement, or resulting in permanent loss of bodily function. This directly affects drivers convicted of causing fatal or severely injurious accidents through inattention or improper driving.