Intersection

Nevada’s new DUI interlock law aims to save lives in more ways than one

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“You good to drive?” It’s a de-facto farewell in Las Vegas.

There’s less gray area with other crimes. It’s pretty easy to not shoplift, for example. But after a quick drink, calculating your blood alcohol content involves guesswork. (It’s gotta be under 0.08 percent in Nevada.)

According to Metro’s Chuck Callaway, DUIs typically fall into two categories. The first is the “hardcore alcoholics, who will get behind a wheel and drive until they kill someone, go to prison or get help.” Passing additional restrictions will have less impact with this group, because it’s most likely to ignore them.

“On other hand, you have folks who make mistakes and drink too much, because they think they can get home,” says Callaway, who has worked in the field for most of his 28 years with Metro.

Governor Brian Sandoval recently signed a new law (SB 259) that could help the second group while also making roads safer. Beginning January 1, Nevada DUI offenders will be required to use a breathalyzer-like admission interlock in their car for the first 90 days after arrest and at least six months post-conviction, in order to continue driving.

How, exactly, does that help the guilty? Currently, first-time DUI offenders lose their licenses for that first 90 days, and in this sprawling town, people who can’t drive often lose their jobs. According to Callaway, this can set off a downward spiral that might lead to more crime. This law allows people to “still travel to work and provide for their families,” Callaway says. “It gives them an opportunity to turn their lives around, while providing a level of public safety.”

Of course, it’s still cheaper—and safer—to get a ride home after that second cocktail. Callaway advises following a simple rule for determining your ability to drive: If you have to ask, you’ve already crossed the line.

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