The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently implemented a crackdown on drunk driving in the State of New Mexico and across the country. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign began on August 17th and is scheduled to last throughout the Labor Day weekend. According to the NHTSA, impaired or inebriated driving killed more than 10,000 people across the country in 2010, including 147 individuals over Labor Day weekend alone. In all 50 states and Puerto Rico, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher are considered to be impaired.
As part of the campaign, law enforcement agencies across the nation are engaging in both publicity campaigns and high-visibility enforcement of state drunk driving laws. According to the NHTSA, sobriety checkpoints, a lager law enforcement presence, and an effective educational campaign are being implemented in order to increase awareness regarding the often fatal consequences of driving while intoxicated.
In response, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) issued a statement in support of the NHTSA’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over safety campaign. According to MADD, nearly 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve a drunk or impaired driver. The organization’s President, Jan Withers, stated efforts such as the current safety campaign have been shown to reduce impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. MADD also reportedly expressed its support for a new federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, designed to reduce or eliminate drunk driving. The organization has agreed to provide $29 million for high-visibility impaired driving crackdowns during each of the next three years.
MADD encouraged anyone who plans on celebrating the upcoming Labor Day weekend with alcohol to plan ahead and designate a driver or make other transportation arrangements. According to Withers, 100 percent of all drunken driving fatalities could be eliminated simply by planning ahead.
Alcohol-related accidents are common in New Mexico. Sadly, everyone who travels on the roadways in our state is placed at risk whenever a drunk or impaired driver chooses to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The victim of an impaired driver may file a claim for any damages he or she incurs as a result of a drunken driving accident. If you a loved one were hurt by an impaired or inebriated driver, you should contact a capable New Mexico drunk driving attorney as soon as you are able.
Call the Fine Law Firm today at (505) 889-3463 if you were hurt or a loved one was killed by a drunk driver in the State of New Mexico. Our knowledgeable Santa Fe personal injury lawyers are available to answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you file your damages claim. At the Fine Law Firm, our hardworking attorneys represent injured clients throughout New Mexico. Our diligent lawyers have more than 100 years of combined experience helping accident victims receive the financial compensation they deserve based on their injuries. To schedule an initial consultation with a committed personal injury attorney today, please do not hesitate to contact the Fine Law Firm through our website.
More Blog Posts:
Motorcyclist Killed on I-25 in Albuquerque, New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, August 27, 2012
Santa Rosa Semi Truck Accident, New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, August 26, 2012
Additional Resources:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over National Impaired Driving Enforcement Crackdown August 17 – September 3, 2012, trafficsafetymarketing.gov/
MADD Supports National Crackdown on Drunk Driving this Labor Day Weekend, MADD Press Release dated August 14, 2012