Ending DWI must be a top priority
Every time someone gets behind the wheel drunk, they are putting their life and the life of every other person on the road in danger. And unfortunately, in New Mexico, drunken driving is all too common. The fatalities related to drunken driving are senseless, and our families in every community of New Mexico are the victims.
That’s why the New Mexico Department of Transportation under the leadership of Gov. Susana Martinez is working with law enforcement and other partners to ENDWI. Together, we’ve made it a priority to stop drunken driving through stronger enforcement, ads showing the disastrous consequences of driving drunk, and other initiatives aimed at stopping DWI.
Recently, we started airing the new TV ads that feature the terrible results of making that irresponsible decision to drive drunk — losing your job, hurting your family through the heartbreak and pain of jail time, and the costly attorney and insurance fees that you will pay. Truly a DWI can ruin your life, the court record stays with you forever, and in so many of the worst situations someone pays with their life. You, your family or an innocent victim dies when someone makes that selfish decision.
We want everyone to know how dangerous it is to drive drunk.
Last month, Gov. Martinez announced the first-year results of our DWI court-monitoring program that provides information on the DWI adjudication process. Over 1,100 court cases in six counties were monitored to determine the outcomes. The number of cases dismissed was staggering, and so NMDOT and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is providing funding to assist courts in the DWI adjudication process. We are scheduling forums for district attorney’s offices and law enforcement to discuss the process and find ways to improve the outcome of charges in each of the counties.
All year we work directly with law enforcement to crack down on drunken driving on the roads and highways; especially throughout this holiday season we will have increased patrols and enforcement saturation points across the state.
We will do everything we can to ENDWI and the senseless deaths that it causes. We can’t do it without you. I am urging every New Mexican to make the responsible decision not to drive drunk.
Enjoy your family gatherings, holiday parties and festive celebrations — just don’t drive drunk. Being in jail for Christmas or telling someone their loved one has been killed is not a holiday message I would wish on anyone.
Life is precious. So help us ENDWI by making the responsible decision not to get behind the wheel drunk. And don’t let your friends and families do it, either. Have a plan to get home safe before you go out drinking. By choosing not to drive drunk, you will save lives this holiday season.