Gov. Susana MartinezSTATE News:
ALBUQUERQUE ― Gov. Susana Martinez has announced that DWI-related fatalities are down 47 percent from this time last year, according to preliminary data.
“Driving drunk is dangerous and it must stop,” Martinez said. “DWIs are ruining lives across the state, but it is 100 percent preventable. I urge every New Mexican to make the responsible decision and choose not to drink and drive. There are many other options – call a rideshare, designate a driver, or stay at your friend’s house. Just don’t drink and drive.”
So far this year, there have been 30 DWI-related fatalities, according to preliminary data. At the same time last year, there were 57 DWI-related fatalities. That’s a decrease of 47 percent so far this year. Last year, there were a total of 146 DWI-related fatalities, which was down 16 percent compared to 2016.
Additionally, there have been two DWI-related fatalities in Bernalillo County so far this year.
Through Cinco de Mayo weekend State Police and law enforcement agencies across the state will also be conducting increased saturation patrols and DWI checkpoints in an effort to catch drunk drivers.
Martinez has made fighting DWI a priority in her administration. In 2016, the Governor enacted legislation that increased penalties against drunk drivers to some of the toughest in the region. The administration has also launched a campaign aimed to stop servers and establishments from over-serving alcohol. In addition to the crackdown on DWI offender absconders, Martinez also announced a court monitoring program that placed citizens inside courtrooms in six counties to shed light on how DWI cases are handled.
NMDOT also recently launched a new TV ad campaign encouraging New Mexicans to stop others from getting behind the wheel if they have been drinking. The new ads are called “Life of the Party” and can be viewed online here.
