11/22/06-Proposals to combat dangerous driving are being sought in New Mexico.
Among the efforts likely to be brought forward for lawmakers to consider is more money for treatment of alcohol abuse to allowing judges to order any juveniles convicted of a crime to install ignition-interlock devices in their vehicles, The New Mexican reported. The crime committed wouldn’t have to be drunken driving.
Another proposal could be to count-out-of-state driving while intoxicated convictions as part of a state law requiring the use of ignition-interlocks.
New Mexico law already requires residents convicted of drunken driving to install an ignition-interlock device after their first conviction. Gov. Bill Richardson would like to expand it to cover all drivers’ license applicants in the state if they had a DWI conviction elsewhere since 2005.
The state typically ranks among the states with the highest rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths, The New Mexican reported.
In addition to his ignition-interlock proposal, Richardson has offered a handful of other initiatives. Among them is a requirement that hazard-elimination devices be installed on highways, such as spikes to shred tires that are headed the wrong way on ramps.