DWI, seat belt crackdown set for next 100 days

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Grants police are pulling out all the stops, so to speak, in order to enforce DWI, seat belt and all traffic law violations through Sept. 8. It is called the "100 Days and Nights of Summer" campaign.

Lt. Maxine Monte-Spidle, patrol division supervisor for Grants Police, said the department will be setting up several checkpoints aimed primarily at DWI and seat belts, "but we will be looking for all other traffic and vehicle violations"as well.

Checkpoints, saturation patrols
Police officers will be working overtime all summer, all funded by the state's Traffic Safety Division, in these checkpoints as well as saturation patrols in parts of the city where accidents and DWI arrests have been the most common.

Saturation patrols are when extra officers are assigned to a specific area in addition to the normal patrol officers assigned for duty citywide during that time period.

"Checkpoints and saturation patrols do not take away officers from patrol duties in the city," Spidle said.

Grants police have, in the past shared checkpoints with New Mexico State Police, Spidle said.

"We would love to have multiple-jurisdictional checkpoints with state police, the Cibola County Sheriff's Department and Milan Police," she said.

Accident statistics
Information provided to the Independent by Spidle, from Safer New Mexico, released a number of statistics about traffic accidents and fatalities:

• In 2006, 191 people died in impaired driving accident.
• Also in 2006, about 484 people were killed in all accidents and thousands more injured.
• One in 10 drivers in New Mexico still do not use their seat belts and risk avoidable injuries as a result of accidents. Research shows that adults who do not use seatbelts often also fail to buckle up their children.
• Pickup drivers use seat belts less often than any other type of driver. Sixty-six percent of people killed in New Mexico in pickups in 2006 were not wearing seat belts.
• Fewer people use seat belts at night than during daytime hours.

Enforcement
As a result of these statistics, during the"100 Days and Nights of Summer"campaign, law enforcement agencies across the state will be gearing up to enforce seatbelt laws as well as DWI violations including all other possible traffic violations.

Increase activity, using checkpoints and saturation patrols to deter drunken driving and will arrest those who choose to drive after having too much to drink.

Issue citations to drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts or who do not have child safety seats properly installed and in use for child passengers.

New Mexico State Police plan more than 100 checkpoints during the summer campaign.

Grants police and Safer New Mexico urge motorists to:

• Always wear seat belts and buckle up all child passengers.
• Drive the speed limit.
• Call #DWI on cell phones to report drunk drivers.
• Don't drive after drinking. Always have a designated driver

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197, or fax: (505) 287-2581.