Written by Officer Ray Wilson 07/06/2021
Statewide, NM – During the Independence Day holiday, the New Mexico State Police participated in the Combined Accident Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.) operation across all roadways within the state. The goal of the traffic initiative is to increase motorist safety and reduce the number of crashes through a strong law enforcement presence.
Because of the increased volume of traffic during the holiday, NMSP increased its patrol presence during this initiative on roadways throughout all State Police districts on the busiest travel days of the Independence Day weekend, specifically Saturday, July 3rd, through Monday, July 5th, 2021.
The operation resulted in State Police officers issuing over 1,800 traffic citations (85 citations were for lack of seat belt usage) and arresting 21 drunk drivers statewide. Officers handled a total of 33 crashes, with one being fatal. The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau issued 75 commercial vehicle citations and conducted over 200 commercial vehicle inspections.
The safety of motorists is a top priority of the New Mexico State Police and officers will continue holiday travel operations throughout the year. We encourage the public to drive safely and obey all laws while traveling the motorways of New Mexico.