Gov. Susana Martinez says alcohol-related traffic deaths in New Mexico have reached a record low.
Martinez said Thursday preliminary numbers show the state saw 133 fatal alcohol-related crashes last year, a nearly 14 percent drop from 2012. Officials say that's the lowest number of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the state's recorded history.
The state's previous low was in 2008 when New Mexico saw 143 alcohol-related traffic deaths.
Martinez attributed the recent decline to aggressive programs by law enforcement agencies and better awareness from the public.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation also said preliminary numbers show that New Mexico saw 309 traffic deaths last year. That's a drop from 2012 when state officials reported 367 cases.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.