'Live and Let Drive' podcast takes a look at driving issues

On March 7, 2014, Bobby Dilley was driving home from his job as an aviation officer.

Heading west on Interstate 40, an alleged drunk driver slammed into his Jeep.

The accident left Dilley with a broken neck — something he learned three weeks after the accident when he woke up.

Dilley’s story is the latest to be told as part of the “Live and Let Drive” podcast.

The podcast is about driving safety and produced for the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

It is hosted by RK Venture designer-copywriter and former KSFR reporter Rachel Kennedy. In each episode, she delves deep into a wide range of public safety issues.

“We started the project in the summer of 2022,” Kennedy says. “We came up with the idea as a way to find another medium to engage the public about driving safety. A podcast seems to be the perfect fit.”

Kennedy says most people listen to podcasts while they are on the road.

“In New Mexico, most people are affected by driving safety,” she says. “Everyone has an opinion about it and it has good reach.”

Episodes so far include:

g How the legalization of marijuana has impacted New Mexico’s DWI initiatives.

g How NMDOT is addressing the high rate of pedestrian fatalities in the state with the adoption of the New Mexico Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.

g The life-saving power of the seemingly simple seatbelt.

“We’ve done episodes on drunk driving, distracted driving, pedestrian safety and occupants safety,” she says. “The Bobby Dilley story is very emotional. Basically, he told his story about what happened.”

Kennedy says there have been episodes with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and an episode on DWI school and what to expect.

“Another good one is a day in the life with a state trooper,” she says. “He talked about what it’s like out on patrol.”

Kennedy says the ideas come from everywhere.

“We look at topics that are in the news,” she says. “That’s what sparks an idea.”

Kennedy says another important episode of the podcast was on pedestrian safety.

“New Mexico has the highest per capita pedestrian fatalities in the country,” she says. “It’s a big issue.”

Kennedy says the podcast has a big reach and lets listeners take their time consuming them.

The podcasts are streaming on all digital platforms, as well as liveandletdrivepodcast.com.

Kennedy says the podcasts are completed in New Mexico.

“We record at Mountain Road Recording,” she says. “While the stories are local, we have listeners from within the state and many places internationally.”

Kennedy is looking forward to delving into the cannabis issues.

“It’s something that the state just passed and we’re dealing with it now,” she says. “We have research from Colorado and Washington, both states which have legalized cannabis before us. We make sure to fact check the information before we put it out through the podcast. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting the information right.”