Wednesday, September 30, 2009

New anti-DUI campaign takes different approach

Drunk driving kills: People have been hearing this message, or one like it, for decades.

But while the number of people arrested for DUI in Nevada continues to rise, a new anti-DUI campaign is taking a different approach.

This new campaign is spearheaded by the Safe Community Partnership and includes law enforcement, law makers, and the business community.

Outdoor Promotions, a local company, donated advertising space in bus shelters to parody a well-known credit card advertisement:

"A beer: $2.50. A margarita: $4.50. A DUI: $13,000. A designated driver: Priceless."

Those behind the campaign hope that $13,000 figure grabs people's attention and echoes in the brain when they make plans for a night out.

Assemblyman Mark Manedo helped write some of Nevada's DUI laws, which have cost beyond $13,000.

"If someone were to get arrested for DUI, they're facing fines, they're facing jail time, they're facing a 12 hour mandatory hold at jail, they're facing a live victim impact panel. (This is a) significant cost to people. It's the laws that we have in place that gets you to the $13,000. And that's if you haven't caused any bodily harm or property damage."

Officers from Metro and the Nevada Highway Patrol say DUI arrests are increasing while the number of fatalities and the number of crashes involving alcohol are declining.

This means law enforcement is doing its part.

Officers, however, wish more drivers would do their part by making sure they have a safe way home.

In addition to advertising in bus shelters, the campaign will hang posters in local bars to hopefully get the message out to people before they leave.

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