Editorial: The public can help reduce DUI

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 4:37 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION: April 20, 2003

A man behind the wheel of a pickup truck speeding through a quiet neighborhood has once again brought the tragedy of drunken driving to the forefront of public attention. The pleasant scene of a father out bicycling with his 8-year-old son was shattered Tuesday afternoon in northwest Las Vegas when the truck collided with them, killing the father and injuring the son. The driver sped off with the father's body on his hood. He stopped only to throw the body onto the ground and was involved in at least four other hit-and-run accidents before the truck broke down, Metro Police reported. Police said the driver was so drunk he had to be carried to his jail cell.

The incident has once more left people feeling outraged about drunken driving. The driver charged in Tuesday's accident had just recently moved to Las Vegas from New Mexico, where he had a lengthy police record that included four other drunken-driving arrests. Why, people naturally ask, is a man like this behind the wheel when he should be behind bars? The question is a good one. Even though this driver's previous offenses occurred out of state, an incident as tragic as this should inspire an evaluation of our own penalties.

In Nevada, those convicted of driving under the influence and causing death or substantial bodily harm face a maximum of 20 years in prison, license revocation, and a $5,000 fine. Leaving the scene can add another 15 years to the sentence and another $5,000 to the fine. Drunken drivers who do not cause harm face misdemeanor penalties, unless they're picked up a third time within seven years of a previous offense. Then it becomes a felony carrying a maximum prison term of six years.

Although our laws are among the toughest in the country, it's a fair question to ask if they should be even tougher -- especially when considering the statistics. Last year in Las Vegas alcohol-related crashes claimed the lives of 38 people. It's a number that keeps increasing. In 1999, 13 people were killed, in 2000 the number was 18 and in 2001 it was 26. We would like to see public debate on new penalties, such as a mandatory interlock ignition for DUI offenders. This prevents a car from being started until the driver passes a breath test.

Laws, however, will never be the whole solution. It shouldn't take tougher penalties for people to do the right thing. The public must take to heart the campaigns that have sprung up over the past 20 years. "Know when to say when" and "Friends don't let friends drink and drive" are more than slogans. They are calls to action.