County May Impound DWI Cars

Bernalillo County could impound and auction off the vehicles of repeat drunken drivers under a proposal before the County Commission.

The city of Albuquerque already has a similar program, and the County Commission is considering whether to adopt its own ordinance that would apply outside city limits. Commissioners unanimously approved introduction of the proposal Tuesday.

The county proposal targets as a “nuisance” any vehicle driven by someone who is arrested for a second or subsequent DWI offense or arrested for driving on a revoked license because of a previous DWI.

Commissioner Wayne Johnson sponsored the proposal on behalf of Sheriff Dan Houston, who said the goal is to protect the public from the devastation of losing someone in a fatal accident.

“Can we really compare the loss of a car to the loss of someone’s loved one?” Houston asked.

Under the proposal, the owner of the vehicle could contest the seizure before a hearing officer.

There would be provisions intended to protect “innocent owners” who lend their car to someone without realizing the driver has a DWI history, supporters say.

Johnson said the goal is to crack down on “enablers” who knowingly allow drunken drivers to use their vehicle.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office would have the option of selling the vehicle at a public auction or otherwise using it for anti-DWI education. The auction could fund the seizure program, but it would cost about $325,000 initially to start it up, according to a county staff report.

The proposal will come back to the commission for final consideration at a future meeting.
— This article appeared on page C2 of the Albuquerque Journal