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Local advocates say breathalyzer bill could save lives

Posted at 6:01 PM, Mar 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-19 21:51:36-04

Local advocates against drunk driving hope proposed legislation will get repeat DUI offenders off the roads. 

Senate Bill 259 would give DUI offenders two options: lose your license for 90 days or install an ignition lock device in your car. The ignition lock device forces a driver to pass a breathalyzer test before starting the engine.

"It would stop the many lives that we lose every year to DUI's," said Simone Tyree, a Las Vegas driver who supports the bill. 

Last year, 77 people died in Nevada due to alcohol-related crashes, according to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. 

Organizations like Stop DUI want to reduce that number and think this bill would help. 

"We want 0 fatalities that's our ultimate goal," said Sandy Heverly, co-founder of Stop DUI.

Heverly said many times, repeat offenders cause fatal drunk driving crashes. That was the case in February when 16-year-old Jaelan Fajardo was hit and killed by a drunk driver while on his way to school. The suspect had been convicted of a DUI at least three times before.

Just think if there would have been a device on that vehicle. Hopefully, Jaelan and anybody else that happened to be in the path of that individual would be alive today," she said. 

Stop DUI plans to testify in favor of the bill in the coming months.