Bills already being drafted for next year's session of the Nevada legislature include at least five designed to make driving safer.
Of the 178 bills in the process of being drafted for the 2011 session, there are pieces of legislation curbing the use of cell phones, tightening restrictions on drunk driving and failure to wear a seat belt.
- Assemblyman Harvey J. Munford of Clark County says he's going to introduce a bill restricting cellphone use by drivers while behind the wheel. The retired school teacher told the Las Vegas Sun that he was inspired to craft the bill after a family came to his home, telling him about how one of its members was seriously injured by a driver believed to be using a cellphone at the time of the crash.
- Bans on texting while driving are going to be proposed by Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson of North Las Vegas and Sen. Shirley Breeden of Henderson. In 2009, Breeden proposed a bill banning texting while driving. It passed the Nevada Senate but didn't make it to the floor of the Assembly for a vote.
- Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie of Reno wants to expand a law requiring ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of convicted DUI offenders. (Currently, first- or second-time drunk drivers can be ordered to have an ignition interlock installed for three to six months.)
- Sen. Dennis Nolan of Las Vegas is requesting a bill to make the failure to wear a seatbelt a primary offense. It's currently a secondary offense. (A primary offense is one allowing law enforcement to stop a motorist for a possible violation. A secondary offense allows officers to issue a ticket for the violation in the course of a traffic stop made for another reason.)
Distracted Drivers
Munford said he's has yet to decide on whether to propose making use of a cellphone a primary or secondary offense. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that in 2008, more than 20 percent of all crashes involved distracted drivers, resulting in the deaths of nearly 6,000 people and more than a half a million injuries.
Drunk Drivers
Leslie said she hasn't decided on the exact parameters of her drunk driving bill either. She told the Sun that her proposed law would likely require first-time offenders with a blood-alcohol content above a certain level to install the ignition interlock devices in their vehicles.
Protecting You
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a crash, collision or accident involving a distracted driver or drunk driver, contact a Nevada personal injury attorney for an assessment of your case. A personal injury lawyer will examine the facts, lay out your legal options and help you pursue full compensation for medical costs, lost wages and pain and suffering.
