Madam Chair, I reserve my right to yield the remainder of my time to our closing summation. As we are all aware, traffic accidents impact nearly everyone in our communities at some point during their lifetime. These traffic accidents can drastically and permanently alter the lives of innocent people, their families, and their friends. I trust that the thought of such horrors truly disgusts my fellow senators as they do I. In New Mexico, accidents such as these are especially a problem because of the thousands of alcohol related traffic accidents that occur every year. In 2014, 5.59% of all car crashes in the state were caused by a driver who was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Furthermore, over 50,000 DWI arrests were made in New Mexico in which the suspect was a third-time offender, and over 10,000 arrests were made in New Mexico in which the suspect was a fifth-time offender.
