DWI arrests and fatalities have dropped in Bernalillo County

In today's Journal, we told you about statistics we compiled using data from the Metropolitan Court, the DWI Resource Center, the Census Bureau and the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau. Read the story here.

The data seems to be encouraging, police and advocates say. Alcohol-related fatalities are down, arrests are down and people are not as drunk when they get arrested. It's hard to say what has caused the decrease in all of the major DWI categories. Police and advocates say its everything from the economy to an increase in enforcement. What we do know is that few people died in 2008 at the hands of drunken drivers.

The data is interesting. I have kept a running spreadsheet on DWI data since I came to the Journal in 2004. Each year, I add to it and do a story about the increase or decrease. This year, I have decided to share it with you. The sheet includes arrests, fatalities, average age, average blood alcohol content and population numbers. To view the sheet, click here. Then, tell us what you think by clicking the comment button below