Behavior Change Campaigns

Distracted driving remains one of the most common, and most underestimated, safety risks on New Mexico’s roads. Many drivers believe they can safely glance at a phone, multitask, or divide their attention without consequences. Behavior change campaigns are essential to challenging these assumptions and reinforcing a simple truth: driving is a single-task activity, and even brief lapses in attention can have serious consequences.

JustDrive campaigns focus on shifting social norms around distraction by addressing everyday behaviors that drivers dismiss as harmless. The campaigns don’t just show risk to the driver, they reflect the broader consequences of inattention, including pedestrian crashes, speeding, and other unsafe driving behaviors that often occur when attention slips. In a state with some of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the country, distraction plays a vital role in moments when drivers fail to see someone crossing, walking roadside, or sharing the road.

By promoting planning, speaking up as a passenger, and setting clear expectations behind the wheel, distracted driving campaigns encourage shared responsibility. When attention is treated as non-negotiable and distraction as unacceptable, safer behavior becomes the norm and a shared value of New Mexicans, helping protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and everyone who uses New Mexico’s roads.