What You Can Do:
DrunkBusters: As part of New Mexico’s comprehensive anti-DWI campaign, the Department of Public Safety in 2006 launched the "DrunkBusters" hotline to receive calls from motorists who report suspected drunk drivers (www.dps.nm.org/lawEnforcement/dwi/drunkbusters.php) DrunkBusters allows people in New Mexico to immediately report suspected drunken drivers to law enforcement. You can call DrunkBusters at #DWI or #394 on your cell phone, or you can contact DrunkBusters through the toll-free number: 1-877-DWI-HALT, or 1-877-394-4258. When someone calls the DrunkBusters hotline, operators at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) will obtain as much information about the suspect vehicle as possible and contact the nearest law enforcement agency. The information is quickly relayed to officers in the field.
Highway signage reminding motorists of the DrunkBuster hotline are posted on major highways at regular intervals.
Other Tips: Don’t drink and drive and don’t ride with anyone who has too much to drink. Remember, it is usually themselves and their passengers who are harmed by drunk drivers. The risk of collision for high BAC drivers is several hundred times higher than for a non-drinking driver.
- Volunteer to be a designated driver.
- Always use a seat belt.
- Use four-lane highways whenever possible.
- Avoid rural roads.
- Avoid travel after midnight (especially on Fridays and Saturdays).
- Drive defensively.
- Choose vehicles with airbags.
Refer to safety ratings before selecting your next vehicle. See “Buying a Safer Car” (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/NCAP . "Buying A Safer Car" includes safety ratings of cars, vans, and sport utility vehicles by year, make, and model.;
