Gov. Susan Martinez STATE News:
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez unveiled hard-hitting TV ads Monday to fight DWI and distracted driving. In addition, Martinez announced an increased law enforcement presence on New Mexico’s roads and highways to target drunk driving over the summer months.
“As a career prosecutor, and now as governor, I’ve witnessed the heartbreaking consequences that DWI has on our families,” Martinez said. “Today’s ads are a powerful reminder to all New Mexicans that drinking and driving comes at a horrific cost.”
These new ads focus on DWI from the perspective of a surgeon trying to save the life of a mother hit by a drunk driver. These powerful new ads build on a series of ads unveiled by the Governor last fall, called The Things I’ve Seen, which featured police officers coming face-to-face with DWI crashes and having to inform families that their loved ones had been killed.
Governor Martinez also unveiled a new ad to discourage distracted driving, and kicked off this year’s 100 Days and Nights of Summer, a coordinated statewide law enforcement effort that puts more police officers on the roads to target DWI, texting behind the wheel, not buckling up, and other dangerous driving.
The 100 Days and Nights of Summer safety campaign runs until the end of September. Drivers can expect to see more DWI checkpoints, saturation patrols, and more officers on the road.
“The first and foremost responsibility of a driver is to keep their attention focused on the road,” New Mexico Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Loren Hatch said. “New Mexico’s families need and deserve to be safe on our roads and highways, and we’re proud to partner with law enforcement throughout the state and spread the word to help people have a safer and more enjoyable summer season.”
During last year’s campaign, New Mexico law enforcement officers made 82 DWI arrests, issued 1,640 seat belt citations, 1,381 child restraint citations, 12,305 speeding citations, 867 cell phone citations and made 46 felony arrests.
So far this year, 174 people have been killed in traffic crashes in New Mexico – 58 of them alcohol-related.
Martinez has repeatedly fought for tougher DWI penalties. Just this year, she signed legislation that cracks down on the worst repeat DWI offenders and increases penalties for drunk drivers who kill. This legislation builds on Governor Martinez’s recent executive initiatives to crack down on DWI throughout New Mexico.
These include: targeting repeat offenders and the establishments that over-serve them; a court monitoring program that will place citizens inside courtrooms in five counties to shed light on how DWI cases are handled; and an ongoing roundup of DWI fugitives.
