Santa Fe, NM – Today, Governor Susana Martinez announced that law enforcement across the state will be out in full force to crack down on drunk driving this holiday season. In addition, State Police will join a nationwide effort to nab drunk drivers along I-40 over Thanksgiving weekend.
“If you drink and drive, you will wake up in a jail cell. And that’s if you’re lucky,” Governor Martinez said. “Our police officers will be patrolling all corners of the state to keep our roads safe. So, please, don’t put lives at risk. If you plan to drink, designate a driver or call an Uber. Make the responsible choice.”
During last year’s holiday superblitz, Law Enforcement made almost 300 arrests – 124 for DWI and 172 misdemeanor, felony and drug arrests. The superblitz will last until Jan. 4.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, State Police will also take part in a nationwide, unified effort along I-40. State Police and Highway Patrol in every state along I-40 will crackdown on DWI and other traffic violations to reduce crashes by placing an officer every 20 miles along the Interstate.
“The New Mexico State Police is committed to keeping our roadways safe. Our officers will be conducting extra patrols and checkpoints especially during peak traffic times during the holidays to keep communities safe. The State Police will be out in force looking for traffic and seatbelt violations as well as making DWI a priority. We urge everyone to drive safely and don’t drink and drive,” State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said.
The Governor has made fighting DWI a priority. This year, the Governor enacted legislation that increased penalties against drunk drivers to some of the toughest in the region. Last year, she launched a series of executive initiatives to fight DWI, including: targeting repeat offenders and the establishments that over-serve them; a court monitoring program that placed citizens inside courtrooms in six counties to shed light on how DWI cases are handled; and an ongoing roundup of DWI fugitives.
“Driving drunk creates dangerous situations on our highways,” NMDOT Secretary Tom Church said. “Please don’t drink before you get behind the wheel. You could ruin your life or someone else’s. It’s just not worth it.”