The Reno Police Department is taking extra measures this 4th of July weekend to ensure everyone is driving sober on the roads.
Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance says there will be extra patrol units keeping a sharp eye out for drunk drivers.
However, she says keeping the roads safe is just as much our responsibility as it is theirs.
"We do see an increase in DUI's and DUI arrests during these types of holiday weekends when people are out," she said.
Chief Nance says while the total number of car crashes has been going down, the number of crashes resulting in a death is increasing. Most of them due to speeding and intoxication.
Nance says last year Reno Police made 738 preventable DUI arrests.
"I say that they're preventable because those are choices that people made to get in the car and drive while intoxicated," she said. "I would like to see that number drop this year, not because we're doing additional enforcement, but because there's less intoxicated drivers."
If you plan to head up to any of the lakes this weekend, Nance tells us driving a boat drunk is just as dangerous as driving a car drunk, and you can get a DUI for that as well.
With so many people towing boats, RVs, and trailers around this time, Nance says all drivers, towing or not, need to stay extra cautious on the roads, especially after a crash involving a motorcycle and a truck pulling a boat yesterday.
"If you're inexperienced and you don't have that training and you don't feel comfortable or confident with it, really be mindful of the rules of the road and your abilities," she said.
If you do see someone drunk driving, Nance says be sure to call 911 and report it. When you call 911 it will automatically connect you to the law enforcement agency that's responsible in that jurisdiction.
Chief Nance also says if you're unsure if you may or may not be sober enough to drive, play it safe and take the necessary precautions instead of getting behind the wheel.
"Either get an Uber or get a designated driver that is not consuming alcohol or other intoxicants and make sure that we are using those rideshare systems as much as we can," she said.
Nance says it's important to remember that you're not just putting yourself at risk when getting behind the wheel on the road or the lake, but the lives of other people as well.
