STATE News:SANTA FE ― Gov. Susana Martinez has announced that New Mexico will participate in the national DWI crackdown: ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’. The crackdown begins today and runs through Labor Day weekend.
“Getting drunk drivers off our streets is a top priority,” Martinez said. “When you get behind the wheel drunk you’re putting lives in danger – that’s unacceptable. If you do make the reckless decision to drive drunk, you will be caught.”
So far this year, preliminary data shows there have been 76 DWI related traffic fatalities on New Mexico roads – that’s down almost 30 percent from this time last year.
“The New Mexico State Police has been saturating the streets and highways of New Mexico with the purpose to arrest drunk drivers and keep New Mexicans safe. Losing just one life from an unnecessary crash involving an impaired driver is simply intolerable. State Police officers will continue to patrol aggressively and arrest drunk drivers as we seek to end the devastation caused by DWI in our state,” State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said.
The 100 Days and Nights of Summer campaign, which the Governor announced earlier this summer, will continue through the end of September. Drivers can expect to see more DWI checkpoints, saturation patrols, and more officers on the road.
“A big part of keeping people safe on our roads is working to end DWI,” NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Tom Church said. “Our Department will continue to educate drivers on the dangers of drunk driving and also work with law enforcement and the Governor to crackdown on drunk drivers.”
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.
