Nevada has sent Bill 309 to the Senate, with which it intends to combat driving under the influence (DUI), and to promote treatment and rehabilitation. To achieve this, it has lowered the blood alcohol concentration threshold and increased the amounts of penalties. This new anti-alcohol law also increases prison days, with a minimum of 20 days, and it will also consider it a crime if offenders are repeat offenders despite having participated in treatment programs. All these sanctions are part of the authorities’ response to combat one of the leading causes of death on roads in the United States, not only as a means of punishment for those who are reckless, but also as an early and preventive intervention.
Changes in Road Safety in Nevada
Nevada is one of the states that has joined the rest of the United States in taking action to ensure road safety and thus reduce accidents on the roads. Reckless driving, distracted driving, use of mobile phones, speeding, or driving under the influence are some of the main causes that authorities aim to combat. In the case of Nevada, efforts have been made to tackle the leading cause of death on U.S. roads: driving under the influence (DUI).
Nevada Senate Bill 309
Senate Bill 309 is currently in the Nevada Senate, through which the authorities aim to address dangerous driving, especially that caused by driving under the influence of alcohol. This measure has been responsible for tightening the regulations that were previously in place, increasing both the time spent in jail and the amount of financial penalties to be paid.
Previous Regulation
In the case of DUI, until now, offenders faced a sentence of 10 to 180 days in jail. However, section 12 of the new legislation states that the minimum number of days will be 20. Regarding blood alcohol concentration, the values have also been modified. For this, one must refer to section 11, which specifies that whereas the previous limit was set at 0.18, it is now 0.16. Additionally, drivers will have to undergo an alcohol assessment before sentencing.
Treatment Programs
Until now, repeat offenders were not allowed to reapply for a treatment program. However, Section 10 has changed the rule, disqualifying offenders who have previously been ordered to complete such a program. According to authorities, this forces offenders to take responsibility and seek help.
What will be considered a DUI offense
According to Section 12, “All offenses that may have been dismissed will now be taken into account when calculating the first, second, and third offenses.” Additionally, Section 13 expands the offense when it involves repeat offenders who have received a treatment program for a third DUI.
What is expected to be achieved with this new measure?
The motivation behind this new bill, pending approval and automatic enforcement, is to reduce the number of accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as to raise public awareness of the obvious risks involved. The tightening of this measure also responds to the need for a reaction from offending drivers, as well as to make them take responsibility for their actions. Nevada has not only taken measures regarding driving under the influence of alcohol but has also increased the cost of fines for reckless and negligent driving, being $1,000 and $750 respectively.
As we have mentioned, Nevada is not the only state that has had to modify its traffic safety regulations due to the relentless number of accidents. In the case of Colorado, surveillance cameras have been activated to catch those who believe they do not have to respect speed limits, especially in construction zones. Read more about this new legislation change here!