With the holiday weekend approaching, police are reminding everyone to stay safe on and off the road.
Officers say they will have a strong presence on the roads this weekend to ensure safe driving and combat impaired driving throughout the city.
They say the most tragic thing that could happen when drunk driving is crashing and taking someone's life, and there are serious consequences people will face.
Hunter Mercurio, Public Information Officer for the Reno Police Department, told us, "There’s going to be at least a $10,000 fine and community service. You may get an interlock device in your car. You may have to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. There are so many steps that you have to take. If you do get a DUI, the state takes it very seriously when people are drunk driving, and there's really a zero-tolerance policy for that."
Police officers say that openly drinking and being overly intoxicated as a pedestrian is also a crime.
They want to remind folks that the streets will be filled with families trick-or-treating, so it's important to be extra aware while out.
They suggest folks have flashlights, glow sticks, or wear reflective clothes while walking around neighborhoods.
Mercurio said, "We know that everybody loves to dress up in their costumes. It's also probably going to be very cold, so bundle up as you are going to be trick-or-treating, but if you wear that bright clothing, if you do wear those glow sticks, especially if you're in a neighborhood, make sure you're just taking that extra time to look both ways before you cross the street."
They also want to remind folks to take the extra few minutes to check your candy and make sure it hasn't been tampered with, and if you are out walking, be sure to notice if anyone is driving weird or appears to be driving drunk.
"They might either be speeding, or they might be driving slow, or they might be going back and forth between speeding and then slowing down abruptly. Typically at night, their headlights are not turned on if they are driving around, and their headlights are off. That's a sign right there," said Mercurio.
Officers want everyone to have fun and enjoy their weekend while staying responsible, and say if you suspect someone is drunk driving, to distance yourself from them and call 911 to let authorities know.
