Live and Let Drive

In this episode, we talk with Tom Schuch, Director of Education at the New Mexico Restaurant Association, about the vital role servers and sellers play in preventing drunk driving. Fifty-eight percent of DWI arrests in New Mexico involve alcohol purchased at licensed establishments, making bartenders, servers, and clerks a first line of defense in keeping our roads safe. Tom shares insights from h...

Dust storms are a growing and deadly hazard on New Mexico’s roads, with visibility dropping to zero in seconds and crashes claiming dozens of lives. In this episode, we speak with Trent Botkin from the Environmental Bureau of the New Mexico Department of Transportation about how dust storms form, why they’re becoming more frequent, and the serious risks they pose to drivers. Trent explains how NMD...

Since 1998, more than 1,000 children have died in hot cars. The majority of these tragic and entirely preventable losses are rooted not in neglect, but in a failure of the brain’s memory system. In this episode, we talk with Sue Auriemma, Vice President of Kids and Car Safety, about how and why these tragedies occur, the science behind memory failure, and what every parent and caregiver needs to k...

In Part 2 of our underage drinking series, we go behind the scenes into the real-life impact of alcohol use among teens. Joining us is Chrissy Pacheco, a substance use clinician at Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery Center, who works directly with young people battling addiction. Chrissy shares firsthand insights into the challenges teens face, from peer pressure to family influences, and the misconcept...

In this episode of Live and Let Drive, we take a deep dive into the issue of underage drinking with guest Rebecca Neudecker from the Office of Alcohol Misuse Prevention at the New Mexico Department of Health. Underage drinking is not just about teens consuming alcohol — it’s about long-term impacts on brain development, future health risks, and a higher likelihood of alcohol misuse disorders in ad...

In this episode of Live and Let Drive, we dive into the crucial topic of motorcycle safety with David Randall and Brittany Morrow, motorcycle enthusiasts and safety instructors from the New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program. David and Brittany share their personal journeys into the world of motorcycling, highlighting the importance of proper training, the right safety gear, and a defensive riding a...

In this  episode, we sit down with Sergeant James Burton of the Albuquerque Police Department and Aaron Wroten, a civilian reconstructionist. Both are vital members of the Fatal Crash Unit, a team that meticulously investigates fatal and near-fatal crashes to uncover the causes and prevent future tragedies. Sergeant Burton and Mr. Roten share their expertise and shed light on their investigation p...

In this episode of Live and Let Drive, we talk with Jessica Bloom, a research scientist at the University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies. With over 15 years of experience, Jessica delves into the intricacies of vehicular crashes in New Mexico, shedding light on the comprehensive database and detailed crash reports maintained by her team. From alcohol-related incidents to demograph...

In this episode, Alyssa and Anthony Apodaca tell the story of a drunk driving crash that took the life of their unborn baby boy, Messiah. They share the raw details of that horrific night and how Mothers Against Drunk Driving provided them with invaluable emotional and practical support in the aftermath. From navigating the legal system to advocating for their rights, MADD stood by their side. But...

In this episode, our guest is Dr. Nichole Morris, the Director of the HumanFIRST Lab at the University of Minnesota. The Lab's mission is to reduce injuries and fatal crashes on the road by gaining a better understanding of driving behavior, particularly how drivers interact with technology. Whether we're using navigation, cruise control, or a backup camera, technology has become an inte...

This episode of "Live and Let Drive," explores the dangers of speeding, its contributing factors and how to mitigate its risks. We are joined by Craig Lyon, Director of Road Safety Engineering at the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), and Virginia O’Connor, Roadway Safety Engineer at ToXcel. For more information, check out the following resources on speeding. NHTSA’s Countermeasu...

On this episode, host Rachel Kennedy explores seat belt safety history, facts, and experts’ insights to promote safety on the road. 

This episode is about distracted driving. We all know it’s dangerous and risky. It’s also irresponsible, selfish, and disrespectful. This is the message Joel Feldman learned from the kids he presents to, and it’s the message he shares with their parents who might not think of it the same way. Joel founded EndDD.org, an organization committed to reducing crashes caused by distracted driving. He’s d...

This episode of Live and Let Drive is all about DWI School, a court-ordered course aimed at educating drivers on the dangers of driving while impaired. Host Rachel Kennedy interviews Kathleen Lawicki, the Director at Santa Fe DWI School, who has been involved in outreach education for almost 30 years. Lawicki provides insight into how DWI School works, shares stories from the classes, and explains...

In this episode, we talk with Dolly Otero from the New Mexico chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, also known as MADD. She describes the services provided by MADD and how they have helped victims of drunk driving, and now drugged driving, crashes. And having worked at MADD for almost 20 years, Dolly has seen everything and knows the trends. She shares anecdotes from her experiences of going t...

Cannabis is now legal in New Mexico for recreational use. This means we’re seeing more people driving high on our roads. Drugged driving is impaired driving. Many people are unaware they can be arrested for a DWI for marijuana, or they think they can drive safely high because they think they’re being more careful and driving slower. On this episode, we talk with an expert DRE officer and current H...

Our guests for today’s episode are Rosa Kozub and Shannon Glendenning from the NMDOT Multimodal Planning & Programs Bureau. We talk about why New Mexico has the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities, how NMDOT is addressing this issue, and what we can all do keep our roads safe. They discuss key findings from the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. Here’s the link: nmpedplan.altaplanning.cloud/sto...

A police officer finds himself a victim of a drunk driving crash. Bobby Dilley tells us his touching story of recovery and rebuilding a life that was shattered in seconds by a decision made by a woman to drive drunk one night.

Host Rachel Kennedy talks with New Mexico State Police officer and head of their DWI Unit, Lt. Kurtis Ward.