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Santa Fe County saw a decrease in alcohol related fatalities in 2013. In 2013 six people in Santa Fe County died in traffic crashes that involved alcohol compared to 2012 when seven lives were taken.  In 2014 there have been no alcohol related fatalities to this point, in 2013 one person was killed during this same time period.

"Even if one person dies on our roadways because of alcohol and DWI, we as a society and especially Santa Fe County’s DWI Program, still have work to do to stop this senseless cause of extreme tragedy. I am optimistic that the work we are doing is helping to save lives, these downward trends give me hope," said Lupe Sanchez, DWI Program Coordinator.  

Santa Fe County utilizes many tools to help educate and fight DWI. The Santa Fe County DWI Program funds and administers early education alcohol programs in schools for kids starting in 4^thgrade. Santa Fe County DWI Program funds public awareness media campaigns as part of the defense strategy.  The public awareness campaigns include messages on the sides of city busses, radio ads and coasters bartenders use in city bars to remind everyone to not drink and drive.  Santa Fe County also has the Cab Ride Home program that subsidizes cab rides on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as some holidays.

The Cab Ride Home Program gives about 12,000 rides annually to people leaving bars or parties on Friday and Saturday nights between 5:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.  The cost for a rides is $5 each for 1-2 people and $10 each for 3 or more. The Cab Ride Home Program delivers partiers home, while keeping them from getting behind the wheel. 

 “DWI is a huge and difficult problem to solve.  I look at it as if DWI is a huge granite cube, massive and unmoving.  We don’t have a single tool that can smash this problem but we do have many others that can chip away at the corners, take off the sharp edges, and chisel away at the big problem working little by little to reduce the menace of DWI.  We are making progress,” said Rachel O’Connor Santa Fe County Community Services Director.

Statewide, deaths caused by drunk drivers are also showing a decreasing trend.  During the first three months of 2014, 21 people died in alcohol involved crashes compared to 30 in 2013.

For further information contact Peter Olson at (505) 955-9844 or polson@santafecountynm.gov.