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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Youngberg

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/31/2006

HJM

42

SHORT TITLE Study Use Of Simulator Driver Training

SB

ANALYST Moser

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY06

FY07

FY08 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$20-50

Non-

Recurring State Road

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 42 asks the Department of Transportation, Traffic Safety Bureau to con-

duct a study on the potential benefits of increasing the use of driving simulators as a substitute

for on-the-road training and also that the department consider allowing time on simulator train-

ing to be counted equally to on-the-road training and does not include any appropriation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Depending on the depth of the study, the Department would have to pay approximately $20K to

$50K for an entity to conduct the study and develop a report for distribution.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Traffic Safety Bureau of the NMDOT has statutory authority to oversee the statewide driver

education program, which includes the current classroom and on-street curriculum utilized in all

teen driver training programs.

The NMDOT indicates that HJM 42 requests the department study the potential benefits of in-

creasing the use of simulator driver training for on-road driver training. This memorial requests

that the department considers allowing the time on simulator training to be counted equally to the

House Joint Memorial 42 – Page 2

on-the-road training (1:1).

Currently the driver education rule adopted by the Traffic Safety Bureau (NMAC 18.20.3) al-

lows driving schools to utilize a driving simulator, approved by the Bureau, at a rate of two (2)

hours of instruction using a driving simulator equal to one (1) hour of on-street training (2:1).

The behind-the-wheel training requires at least four (4) of the seven (7) hours of instruction to be

actual on-street training

.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMDOT indicates that any change in the hours of instruction for on-street driving will require

the Bureau to amend the NMAC 18.20.3 Driving Education School rule. This would require the

appropriate notice, public hearing, and consultation with the Transportation Commission. This

process would take approximately 6 months to complete.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

NMDOT is concerned that National driver education standards do not recommend the use of a

driver education simulator in a ratio of one (1) hour of simulation instruction to be equal to one

(1) hour of on-street training (1:1).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Driver &

Training Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) have provided a report with minimum rec-

ommendations for driver education. The report states that if simulation instruction is used to re-

place a portion of the on-street instruction, a substitution ratio of four (4) hours of simulation in-

struction to one (1) hour of on-street instruction (4:1) should be used. Simulation instruction may

be used to replace a maximum of three (3) hours of on-street instruction.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

The current requirements for use of a driver education simulator will remain the same

.

EM/yr