Committee advances bill requiring three hours of vulnerable‑road‑user training in driver’s ed

The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee recommended SB73 on a 9–1 roll-call, advancing a bill that would require driver‑education programs statewide to include at least three hours of instruction about vulnerable road users.

Sponsor testimony described the bill as a response to a recent fatality and part of a broader effort to reduce traffic fatalities, especially among pedestrians and cyclists in Albuquerque. The sponsor said the bill sets a statutory minimum so the subject is consistently taught across driver‑education providers and noted the content was modeled on existing DUI‑training statutory language. The bill would take effect statewide on Jan. 1, 2027.

Local elected officials and advocacy groups, including an Albuquerque City Councilor and the Sierra Club’s Rio Grande chapter, testified in support. Online and in‑person speakers described unsafe road conditions for cyclists and pedestrians and urged lawmakers to strengthen education. Committee members asked whether the three hours would be carved from current instruction or added; sponsors said the statute sets a base and that the department rules could require more instruction without displacing required DUI training.

The committee voted to recommend the bill; senators requested further coordination with MVD/DOT rule‑making and curriculum materials as the implementation date approaches.