DUI standards reduction receives moderate reaction

Local law enforcement officials say a federal mandate signed into law Monday that creates a national .08 blood-alcohol standard for drunken driving will pose little change on Nevada's enforcement techniques.

Chief Deputy Scott Burau of the Carson City Sheriff's Department said he could not predict the impact of the lower standards. Currently, Nevada drivers are considered drunk with a .10 or higher blood-alcohol level.

"As far as enforcement goes, we will not change what we do dramatically," he said. "Of course there will be an increase in the number of arrests, but that impact is unpredictable without studying the statistics.

"Our aggressiveness in pursuing drunk driving won't change. There is going to be an expense, but we don't know what it is yet."

The bill was signed into law Monday by President Clinton. States that do not adhere to the national standard by 2004 may be denied highway funding as a result.

Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said the issue of federal influence on state laws is a common practice.

"It happens in a lot of different areas," she said. "It is a complicated issue and there are some financial ramifications, but we have some time to reexamine what we do and make some changes.

"Great strides have been made over the last several years in curbing drunk driving. We have to do everything we can to continue in that area."

For five sessions, the Nevada Legislature has considered the blood-alcohol level reduction, but nothing has been passed on to the governor for consideration. Many of those efforts were spearheaded by the Nevada chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.