ALBUQUERQUE– The New Mexico Department of Transportation continues to work tirelessly to stop drunk driving. NMDOT’s ENDWIcampaign was created in 2012 to help reduce the number of drunk driving-related crashes and fatalities by promoting designated drivers, safe rides and responsible consumption with the goal of ending drunk driving in New Mexico.

According to NMDOT’s Traffic Safety Division. In 2018, 113 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in New Mexico. While this is a 23 percent reduction in alcohol involved fatalities compared to 2017, there is still a lot of work to do.

NMDOT is releasing a new, summer ENDWI campaign focusing on emulating generational behaviors. The commercial spots are called “Like Father, Like Son.” According to the latest finding from a 2017 Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, New Mexico teens are at a greater risk of drinking and driving compared to the rest of the United States.

NM high school students were more likely to initiate alcohol use before age 13 than U-S students (20.7 percent vs. 15 percent)
NM high school students were more likely to report they rode in car with a drunk driver than U-S students (20.4 percent vs 16.5 percent)

"By reaching out, being proactive and spreading the message, I firmly believe we will see a continued decrease in the rates of alcohol-involved crashes, injuries and deaths," Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. "I ask all New Mexicans to look out for one another, look out for family members and friends, even strangers -- encourage alternative means of transportation and make sure your loved ones don't endanger themselves and others on the road."

“We can’t do this alone.” Said NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Mike Sandoval. “Law enforcement and DWI prevention teams are essential in the collective mission to ENDWI but the key is to reach every current and future driver and instill responsible behavior.”