NMS PENALTIES

FOR DWIS
DRASTICALLY
INCREASING
Higher fines, more jail
time and permanent
records. Is it worth it?

ANALYSIS OF NEW
MEXICO DRUNK DRIVING
MARCH 2016

PREPARED FOR THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

NMS HIGHEST
CRIME RATES
Why are we the highest in
the Country?

EDUCATION AND
ITS AFFECTS ON
DWI
Are we informing our
children enough to
prevent our future drivers
from driving while
intoxicated?

MatthewRyals

MaddyWhitsell
Ben
DeGuio
Shaniah

Does New Mexicos high

High School dropout rate
correlate with our high
DWI rates?

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tite Page..1
Introduction3
Methodology and Results..4
Conclusion.10
Works Cited...11

Introduction

In2011therewasanalcoholinvolvedcrashkillingorinjuringsomebodyevery5hours.

ForyearsNewMexicohasledthenationinalcoholrelateddeaths.Thisisnotanewissuebutthe
scopeoftheproblemisveryconcerning.In2014therewere12,268drivingundertheinfluence/driving
whileintoxicated(DUI/DWI)casesadjudicatedbythecourtsystemsinthestate,costingtaxpayers
moneytokeepoffendersinjail,aswellasthecostofpublicdefendersandthelawenforcementthat
mustfocusonsuspectedDUIoffenders.ThisfocusoncombatingDUIsuspectsreducestheamountof
officersavailabletorespondtoothercalls,whichincreasesthestatepoliceandlocallawenforcement
responsetime.ThisreportwillexaminesomeoftheunderlyingcausesforNewMexicoshighDUI/DWI
offenserateincludingNewMexicoslowhighschoolgraduationrates,highpovertyratesandcultureof
alcoholabuse.Thisreportwillalsoattempttoofferreasonablesuggestionstolowertherateof
DUI/DWIarrestsbydirectlyaddressingthesuspectedunderlyingissues.

ThisreportwillattempttodeterminetheunderlyingissuescontributingtoNewMexicoshighDUI/DWI
arrestrateandnationleadingdeathsrelatedtoalcohol.NewMexicoleadsthenationindeathsrelated
toalcoholandisrankedlastinthecountryforpubliceducationsystemsandgraduationrates.New
MexicoalsoranksaheadofonlyMississippiintermsofpovertylevels.In2015,22%ofadultsand31%
ofchildren(17yearsoldandyounger)livedbeneaththepovertyline.Forasinglepersonthepoverty
levelwas$11,700for2015andjust$15,930forasinglemotherwithonechild.Motoristsdrivingunder
theinfluencecosttaxpayersinthestate$17milliondollarsin2014,themostrecentnumbers
available.Thisnumberdoesnotincludethereducednumbersoflawenforcementavailabletorespond
tocallsastheywererequiredtorespondto12,268DUIcallsin2014.Thisreportwillalsooffer
recommendationsbasedontheunderlyingfactorscontributingtoNewMexicoshighDUIarrestrate.

Methodology And Results

ChartshowsnumberofdeathscausedbyDUIAccidentsper100,000people.TheNationalaverageisonly27.9.NewMexicoleads
thenationwith51.2per.EvensecondplaceintheU.S.isonly41.1.Thisaccordingtoresearchconductedbetween2006and2010.

NewMexicosdrivingundertheinfluence(DUI)ratehaslongbeenamajorissueand
blackeyeforthestate.Since2006NewMexicohasledthenationinDUIdeaths,andranked
nearthehighestforDUIarrestsperpopulation.Asthegraphaboveillustrates,NewMexiconot
onlyhasthehighestDUIdeathperpopulationthecountry,butwearealsosignificantlyhigher
thanthenextcloseststate.Whilethisisnotanewproblem,thedepthoftheissueisstartling
andshouldbeaddressedwithmoreintensityandmoreeffectivemeans.
AccordingtoNewMexicostatuteNMSA668102,itisillegalforapersontodrivea
vehicleifheisundertheinfluenceofalcoholand/ordrugs.Theunlawfulbloodalcohollimit

variesfordifferentdriversdependingontheirageandwhethertheyhaveacommercialdrivers
license.Thestatutestatesasfollows:
Driversyoungerthan21yearsoldcannotlegallydrivewhentheirbloodalcohollimitis
.02orhigher
Commercialdriverscannotoperateavehiclewithabloodalcohollimitthatis.04or
higher
Driverswhoareatleast21yearsoldcannotlegallydrivewithabloodalcohollimitof.08
orhigher
Drivingwithabloodalcohollimitof.16orhigherisamoreseriousoffenseknownas
aggravatedDWIthatcarriesharsherpenalties

Asnotedabove,drivingundertheinfluencecanincludenotonlydrivingunderthe
influenceofalcoholbutdrugsaswell.AsevidencedbyHeisenbergandJessePinkman,illegal
andveryharddrugsarereadilyavailableinNewMexico.Thataccesswillonlybeeffectively
reducedwithhelpfromlawenforcementatthefederallevel.
AccordingtoBloomberg,NewMexicowasthe8thpooreststatefor2014(thelatestyear
available.MorechildrengohungryinNewMexicothananyotherstate,accordingtothe
organizationFeedingAmerica.Overthelastthreeyears,anaverageof21.4%ofNew
Mexicanshavebeenlivingbelowthepovertyline.saysexecutivedirectorofNewMexico
VoicesforChildren,Dr.VeronicaGarcia.Forafamilyoffour,theywouldhaveanannual
incomeoflessthan$24,000ayear.Dr.VeronicaGarciasaystheresnomagicbulletforallof
thestatesproblems,butshebelievesonefactorcanhaveabigimpact."Thebestinvestment
toturnthingsaroundforanystate,butespeciallyNewMexico,istoinvestinchildrenandto
investearly."
Whilethosedrivingundertheinfluencearefoundineverysocioeconomic,education
level,andjobtypetheusualperpetratorisonewithlittleeducationandasresultonewithlittle
(realorlegal)income.Thislackofincomebyasubstantialportionofthestatepopulaceleads
tolessintaxrevenueforthestatewhichinturnleadstofewerlawenforcementofficers
availabletoprotectdriversontheroadfromthosedrivingundertheinfluence.Thelackofof

visibleofficersontheroadleadstolessriskforthosewhowouldbreakthelawandloweringof
publicsafety.

TheabovechartdisplaysNewMexicoshighschoolgraduationpercentageorrate.NewMexicoranks48thwithonlyOregonandtheDistrict
ofColumbiabelow.Iowaranksthehighestat90%.NewMexicostandsat70%ornationalDrating.
http://talkpoverty.org/indicator/listing/hs_grad/2015

Whilemanyfactorscancontributetoapersonchoosingtodrinkanddrive,someissues
appeartobeveryinstitutional,includingalackofeducationleadingtoalackofgainful
employment,leadingtonotonlyonepoordecision,butahistoryofcontinualintransigence.
AnyrealattemptatcurbingNewMexicoshighDUIratesmustaddressthestatesfailingpublic
educationsystem.TheNewMexicopubliceducationsystemhasconsistentlyrankedatornear
theverybottomintheUnitedStates.Anindividualwithoutahighschooldiplomaorequivalent
earns$35,256or$23,868lessthanaBachelor'sdegreeayear.In2014NewMexicoPublic
Schoolshadagraduationrateof68.5%whichranks49outof51publiceducationsystems
(includingtheDistrictofColumbia).(2)Thisisasignificantissuebecausenotonlyare
uneducatedorlesseducatedindividualslesslikelytobemeaningfullyemployed,theyarealso
morelikelytobecomeahardcoredrinkingdriver.Ahardcoredrinkingdriver(HCDD)isan
individualwho,despiteeducation,threats,andpunishments,drivesfrequently(atleast

monthly)athighBAClevels(above0.15%)(Simpson,Beirness,Robertson,Mayhew,&
Hedlund,2004).ThegeneralprofileoftheHCDDisthatofamale(9095percent),aged25to
45(morethan75percentareunderage40andonly10percentoverage50),with12grades
orlesseducationemployedinanonwhitecollaroccupation(withahistoryofoccupational
instability),andlowersocioeconomicstatus(Simpson,etal,2004).

DUIDeathsby
county
Percentageofadultswithcollegedegreebycounty

ArealsolutiontoNewMexicosfailingeducationsystemwillhavenumerousbenefits
includingsomethatwilldirectlyaffectthestate'sDUIproblem.ResearchersattheUniversity
ofWesternOntarioandUniversityofCaliforniaLosAngelesreportsignificantreductionsinthe
probabilityofincarcerationassociatedwithmoreschooling."Inaddition,theimpactof
schoolingwasgreateronAfricanAmericansthanCaucasians,withonemoreyearofschooling
showinga0.10percentpointdecreaseincriminalbehaviorforCaucasiansversusa0.37
percentpointdropforAfricanAmericans.(4)
NewMexicohasrankednearthebottomofthenationinDUI/DWIdeathsandDUI/DWI
relatedaccidentsfordecades.Thishistoryofalcoholanddrugabusehasledtoacultureof

abusethattranslatesfromgenerationtogeneration.Aschildrengrowupinanenvironmentof
adultsusingandabusingalcoholanddrugsandfailingtofindgainfulemploymenttheyareless
likelytofinishschoolandperpetuatealifestylethatmimicstheonlyonetheyarefamiliarwith.
Astheybecomemorelikelytofailtothrivetheyconsequentlyplacealowervalueontheirown,
andotherslives.Lawsareputintoplacetopreventcrimesfromhappening.Oftenthethought
ofpunishmentandtheconsequencesofbreakingthelawareenoughtopreventalawabiding
citizenfromcommittingtheillegalact.If,however,achildisraisedinahomewhereaparent
(ormultipleparents)areconstantlyintroublewiththelaw,theycandevelopanattitudethat
doesntrespecttheintentofthelaw,aswellasnotfearingtheconsequencesofbreakingthe
law.

http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
(7)(forabove)

TheHardCoreDrinkingDriver
Theemergingdefinitionofthehardcoredrinkingdriver(HCDD)is
anindividualwho,despiteeducation,threats,andpunishments,drives

frequently(atleastmonthly)athighBAClevels(above0.15%)(Simpson,
Beirness,Robertson,Mayhew,&Hedlund,2004)

ThegeneralprofileoftheHCDDisthatofamale(9095percent),
aged25to45(morethan75percentareunderage40andonly10percent
overage50),with12gradesorlesseducationemployedinanonwhitecollar
occupation(withahistoryofoccupationalinstability),andlower
socioeconomicstatus(Simpson,etal,2004).MostHCDDshaveahistory
ofimpairedintimaterelationships,e.g.,theinabilitytosustainfriendships
andintimaterelationshipsaswellasapatternofconflictinsuch
relationships(e.g.,domesticviolence)(6)

ThisarticleprovidesadirectcorrelationbetweentheDWIarrestsandtwoofourmainpoints.Itdirectly
statesthecomparisonofthosewithoutaGEDandtheprofileofaHardCoreDrinkingDriver.Notonly
thisbutitalsocreatesthedirectcorrelationbetweenalowereconomicstandingandHCDD.Withhelp
fromthissourceitsolidifiesourargumentthatLoweducationlevels,Highpovertyrates,andaHistory
ofDUI,arethedeterminedcausesthatmakeNewMexicorankthehighestbyDUIfatalitiesinthe
Nation.(bypercentage)

DiscussionofResults

Insummary,theDUIprobleminNewMexicohasimprovedslightlyoverthelastfewyearsbut
isinwayundercontrol.WestillrankhighestinthenationsforDUIdeathsandnearthevery
topforDUIarrests.Moreneedstobedonetocombattheproblemandoneofthemost
significantwaystheGovernor'sOfficecanhelpistoinvestmoreintothestatespublic
educationsystem.Theresultswilltakelongertobearfruitbutwillbemuchmoresystemicin
solvingtheissue.

10

WorksCited

1.
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/justfacts/newamericansnewmexico
"ThePoliticalandEconomicPowerofImmigrants,Latinos,andAsiansintheLandofEnchantment."New
AmericansinNewMexico.AmericanImmigrationCounsel,1Jan.2015.Web.10Apr.2016.

2.
https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/indicator/complete_profile/HSGraduation.html
"CompleteHealthIndicatorReportofPublicEducationHighSchoolGraduationRate."
NMIBIS
.New
Mexico'sIndicatorBasedInformationSystem(NMIBIS),21July2015.Web.15Apr.2016.

3.
http://www.nchems.org/c2sp/documents/NewMexicoAdultProfile.pdf
"CountryProfile,Mexico."(n.d.):n.pag.
NewMexicoProfileofAdultLearning
.NewMexicoAdultProfile,
2010.Web.10Apr.2015.

4.
https://www.nmcourts.gov/dwi_reports/2014dwicourtdispositions.pdf
"TenthAnnualMeeting."
Navigation
4.3(1954):140.
TenthAnnualStatisticalReportonDWICourt
DispositionsinNewMexico
.May2015.Web.10Apr.2016.

5.
http://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/dwiinformation.aspx
"LocateanMVDOffice."
DWIInformation
.MVDNewMexico,n.d.Web.15Apr.2016.

6.Publishedinrevisedformin:White,W.&Gasperin,D.(2007)Thehardcoredrinkingdriver:

Identification,treatmentandcommunitymanagement.AlcoholismTreatmentQuarterly,25(3),113132

7.
"EarningsandUnemploymentRatesbyEducationalAttainment."
U.S.BureauofLaborStatistics
.U.S.
BureauofLaborStatistics,n.d.Web.07Apr.2016.

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