SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Legislation that would prohibit drivers across New Mexico from using hand-held cell phones for talking or texting has been approved by the House.
The proposed statewide ban has the support of Gov. Bill Richardson. He said in his state-of-the-state speech at the start of the legislative session that distracted drivers are a "menace to our streets."
The bill would make New Mexico the nation's seventh state to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, both for talking and texting.
Under the measure, violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and ordered to pay a $25 fine.
Some of New Mexico's largest cities - Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces - already have municipal ordinances that bar cell phone use by drivers.
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