The state of Nevada is one step closer to passing an all-offender ignition interlock law, and if it does, it will join in with the growing majority of states who have already passed this lifesaving law.
Senate Bill 259 would require all offenders to install an ignition interlock for a period of at least six months. This new law would also includes first time offenders, and by all accounts it’s a bill that’s on fire right now because it recently passed the Nevada Senate with a vote of 21-0 and is now on the way to the State Assembly.
If an all-offender ignition interlock law is passed in Nevada, it would drastically change the landscape for all drunk drivers in the state. Right now if a person is arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Nevada is only required to install the device upon a judge’s order, and that order usually only comes down if he or she is arrested with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .15 or if that person is a repeat DUI offender.
Although deaths due to drunk driving have been going down in the state, this is a bill that’s been wanted by Nevada’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving for a long time. The organization has shared stats that show that the average drunk driver will drive drunk at least seventy five times before he or she is finally arrested, and at least fifty percent of drunk drivers will continue to drive on a suspended driver’s license.
If Nevada truly wants to continue a downward trend of drunk driving crashes, having an all-offender ignition interlock bill would be the best place to start. The device is a guarantee that a drunk driver cannot start the vehicle if he or she has been drinking alcohol, and that will keep all roads in Nevada safer for all drivers.
