New Mexico Gov. Susana MartinezSTATE News:
ALBUQUERQUE ― Gov. Susana Martinez has unveiled the latest powerful TV ad to fight DWI.
In addition, the Governor announced an increased law enforcement presence on New Mexico’s roads and highways to target DWI and other dangerous driving throughout the summer.
“The consequences of DWI are unmistakable – it costs lives and takes loved ones away from their families.” Martinez said. “I saw it all the time as a prosecutor. This new ad shows exactly what happens when people make the choice to get behind the wheel drunk. There is no excuse, and it must stop.”
The new ad is from the perspective of a DWI offender who is haunted in prison by his victim. In the ad, the DWI offender has too much to drink at the bar then gets behind the wheel of the car drunk. In the end, he kills a woman walking on the street with her friends who haunts him while he sits in prison. The ads are available online here.
The Governor also 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 behaviors.
The 100 Days and Nights of Summer safety campaign runs through the end of September. Drivers can expect to see more DWI checkpoints, saturation patrols, and more officers on the road.
“It is important that drivers realize they have a responsibility to keep our roads safe,” NMDOT Deputy Cabinet Secretary Loren Hatch said. “Everyone needs to make the smart decision not to drive drunk. It could save your life or someone else’s life.”
During last year’s campaign, law enforcement made 58 DWI arrests, 1,163 seatbelt citations, 191 child restraint citations, 11,094 speeding citations, 625 cellphone citations, 218 misdemeanor arrests, and 33 felony arrests.
So far this year, 156 people have been killed in traffic crashes in New Mexico – 61 of them alcohol-related.
Martinez has made fighting DWI a priority in her administration. Last year, the Governor enacted legislation that increased penalties against drunk drivers to some of the toughest in the region. The administration 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.
