Highway Patrol trooper Dean Reynolds administers field sobriety tests to a driver on Wednesday in Carson City. Lawmakers are proposing tougher DUI laws and softer marijuana statutes at the same time. It reflects the uniqueness of Nevada.
Alcohol kills far more than marijuana.
Manendo, D-Las Vegas, wants to reduce the deaths caused by drunken driving. In 2000, there were 255 fatal crashes resulting in 309 deaths reported across the state. About a third of the deaths were alcohol-related. We have an opportunity to be more thoughtful. Harvey Whittemore, representing the Nevada Beer Wholesalers' Association, said that states with lower DUI levels don't necessarily have fewer fatal drunken driving accidents, and that other factors such as educating people about drunken driving and building safe roads also reduce the number of fatalities.