Nevada Receives Grant Aimed At Stopping Drunk Driving

Drunk drivers often cause serious car accidents that result in injury or death.

Nevada is one of five states that recently received a federal grant designed to reduce drunk driving and alcohol-impaired car accidents across the country, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), one of the federal agencies that awarded the funding for the educational and enforcement program.

“Alcohol and drug use increased during the pandemic as people looked for ways to cope, and we know that many of these individuals are also getting behind the wheel,” GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins said in a statement. “It’s tragic and incredibly frustrating to see impaired driving crashes – which are preventable – kill people every day.”

Drunk driving accidents on the rise

In the past two years, car accidents caused by drunk drivers increased dramatically nationwide. For example, according to the GHSA, alcohol-related car accidents increased by 16 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. The following year, drunk driving accidents increased by another 5 percent, according to accident statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

As for Nevada, drunk driving statistics vary widely depending on where the accidents took place in the state. For example, in 2020, drunk driving fatalities declined in Nevada to 83 deaths versus 89 such deaths in 2019.

But in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, “shocking statistics” show that drunk driving has increased dramatically in the past two years, according to KTNV 13 News. Since the pandemic started in 2020, drunk driving accidents have increased by 25 percent in Clark County, KTNV 13 News reported.

Programs aimed at reducing drunk driving

Nevada was one of five states nationwide to receive a federal grant from the GHSA and Responsibility.org “to fund proven and innovative countermeasures to enhance the identification and treatment of alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers,” according to the GHSA announcement.

The federal grant money will allow Nevada to enhance and improve the state’s “groundbreaking” Computerized Assessment Referral System (CARS), which provides training for judges and case managers dealing with drivers charged, arrested, or convicted for impaired driving in Nevada. The program's ultimate goal is to reduce the number of people who engage in drunk driving in the future and, therefore, reduce the number of drunk driving accidents.

You may be eligible for compensation if a drunk driver hit you.

Of course, there is only so much that can be done to prevent drunk drivers from wreaking havoc on our roads and highways. Remember, it only takes one driver under the influence of alcohol to cause a crash that changes your life forever.

As a result, holding drunk drivers accountable through the civil justice system is still critical, regardless of what countermeasures the state implements. That's why having an experienced attorney on your side who knows how to help drunk driving accident victims in Clark County can make a big difference in the outcome of your legal case. Your accident-related expenses can add up fast if you or a loved one was injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver, but recovering compensation for your losses isn't easy.

At Lasso Injury Law, we can work with you to ensure your injury claim or lawsuit receives the attention it deserves and you receive the compensation you're entitled to. Make your case matter. Contact our law firm and schedule a free consultation with an experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney today.