Drunk drivers will be cited and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Nevada Highway Patrol and statewide law enforcement warn.
This Labor Day weekend, law enforcement will be out in full force in Northern Nevada, patrolling the roads for impaired drivers. With the state’s Zero Fatalities goal in mind, drivers should plan ahead and designate a sober driver if their weekend plans involve alcohol.
Thirty-five deaths on Nevada’s roads this year were alcohol-related, according to preliminary data from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety. Nationally, someone dies every 51 minutes from an alcohol-related crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
To curb impaired driving and alcohol-related deaths on Nevada roads this Labor Day weekend, traffic safety officials share these tips for drivers and passengers:
• If you drink, don’t drive. Designate a sober driver to get you home safely.
• Plan a safe way home before going out.
• If you’re already impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, use public transportation or call a designated driver service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local police.
• If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
Nevada Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program that promotes statewide enforcement of DUI, seat belt use, distracted driving, speed and pedestrian safety. Last year’s Joining Forces enforcement over the Labor Day holiday resulted in 4,227 stops with 128 DUI arrests.
Joining Forces is funded by grants through the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety. Nevada’s Zero Fatalities program is a statewide effort addressing the top behaviors that are killing people on our roads. More information about this program is available at www.ZeroFatalitiesNV.com. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.