Officials aim to curb DUI fatalities

Cathy Scott

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The 22-mile road to Mount Charleston -- State Route 157 -- has again been designated as the "Red Ribbon Road" for the holiday season.

The designation, which began nine years ago after a rash of fatalities, is to remind motorists not to drive drunk. Large red ribbons are placed on snow poles at one-mile intervals from the base of Kyle Canyon Road, near U.S. 95, to the top of the mountain.

"Those ribbons serve as a reminder to people not to drink and drive," said Barbara Orcutt, co-owner of the Mount Charleston Restaurant and Lodge and board member of Stop DUI.

Since the anti-DUI move began with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., naming State Route 157 the Red Ribbon Road, there have been no fatalities related to alcohol on the roadway during the holidays.

"Nine whole years," Sandy Heverly, founder and executive director of Stop DUI, said as a ribbon spanning the roadway was cut during a dedication ceremony Monday.

Looking on were about 35 law enforcement officials, including Nevada Highway Patrol troopers, a Bureau of Land Management ranger and officers with Metro, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City police departments.

The designation coincides with National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month, from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1.

"Prior to beginning this, there were 15 fatalities on Route 157 related to drinking alcohol," Heverly said. "Since we started this, there haven't been any. This road is like a snake. It's tough even under sober conditions."

The Nevada Highway Patrol is planning at least one DUI checkpoint this holiday season as well as "saturation teams" looking for drunken drivers all over the valley.

"We'll have a strong campaign to let people know that if they drink and drive, they will go to jail," Trooper Steve Harney said.