LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Bars across the valley remain closed, yet Nevada Highway Patrol continues to see a rise in impaired drivers. Tuesday, at least 2 people were taken into custody in separate incidents, thanks to an increase in patrols for Cinco de Mayo.
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Overall, crime may be down because of the pandemic, but the number of DUIs are up from this time last year. According to Andrew Bennett with the Nevada Department of Public Safety, in April of this year there have been at least 133 DUI arrests. In April of last year, there were 75 DUI arrests.
I have the privilege of riding with the multi-jurisdictional #DUIStrikeTeam tonight. Some concerning stats from the team:
— Andrew Bennett (@AndrewBennettNV) May 2, 2020
April 2019 DUI arrest: 75
April 2020 DUI arrest: 133
This is unacceptable. Call 911 / *NHP to report suspected impaired drivers. #StayHomeForNevada pic.twitter.com/LNPcpnxYkk
Tuesday, NHP shared a tweet, after troopers arrested a driver who was going the wrong way on the 215 near Lake Mead. They say the driver was under the influence.
#whileyouweresleeping Wrong Way Driver on 215/Lake Mead. This was nearly a head on collision, luckily the driver of the Chevy Cruze was able to get out of the way and escaped serious injury. The driver of the Hyundai was arrested on suspicion of DUI #staysoberfornevada #nhpsocomm pic.twitter.com/ILWxwSquEB
— NHP Southern Command (@NHPSouthernComm) May 6, 2020
Impaired driving is not the only issue troopers are seeing right now. Andrew Bennett says there has been a 9% increase in pedestrians killed so far this year, compared to last year. That could be because more people are going for a walk during the stay-at-home orders, as well as the increase in the number of drivers speeding on the roads.
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"People feel comfortable when there's more space on our roadways to speed, and that's something we really need to address," says Bennett.
