NHP reaches out to help seniors

CRAM THE CRUISER WITH FANS

Hot summer days. Nevada Highway Patrol Fallon/Fernley Districts are reaching out Friday to help the local senior center in Fallon with the assistance of a “fan” drive.

There are many seniors in our community that are without air conditioning or any means of keeping them cool in these hot days that we are experiencing. The NHP is assisting by having a “Cram-the-Cruiser” fan and supply drive. Troopers will be at the Wal-Mart in Fallon, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday to get as many fans and items to assist our seniors in our community. With your help we hope to make this a successful event and make the summer heat more comfortable to these needed citizens. Please come out and help us for a wonderful cause.

Any senior citizen needing a fan should call 775-423-7096.

Trooper Trent Barnes is leading this event. Anyone who may have questions or would like to donate to the cause may call him at 775-423-7096 or email tbarnes@dps.state.nv.us.

HOLIDAY DRIVING PRECAUTIONS

The Nevada Highway Patrol will be increasing staffing levels on July 4th holiday with a larger contingency of troopers planned during the July 4 time frame.

A portion of the additional staffing costs are being offset by a federally funded “Joining Forces” grant secured by the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. Additional troopers will be assigned to saturate various highways in Northern Nevada looking for drivers who commit hazardous moving violations, speeding, and use of cell phones as well as identifying impaired drivers.

Every year, the Independence weekend holiday brings an increase of alcohol consumption resulting in increased serious injuries and fatalities. In order to combat this, the Nevada Highway Patrol is working with various law enforcement agency partners through the Joining Forces Program to boost enforcement efforts to address impaired driving and riding offenses. Throughout the month of July, officers will be looking for impaired motorists and motorcyclists in hopes to discourage the behavior and to send a strong message about the consequences that accompany drinking and driving.

Some of the consequences of being caught driving while impaired vary, but you certainly can expect being incarcerated, a hefty fine, and possible loss of employment to name a few. That is only if you don’t crash and hurt or kill yourself or worse someone else. You have to live with that mistake for the rest of your life.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reports that Nevada has seen an increase in fatalities of 4 percent compared to the same time last year. If the State mirrors the 2014 trend, approximately one-third of fatalities this year will involve alcohol.

Statistics and other related information are available online at http://ZeroFatalitiesNV.com/sober. In an effort to reduce our alcohol-related calls for service this holiday season, we are asking everyone to plan their festive celebrations safely and responsibly. If you plan on consuming any amount of alcohol, don’t get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive. Plan ahead and identify a safe and sober person in advance to get you home safely; not the person in your group who has consumed the fewest drinks. If you see an impaired driver on the highway, please report it to us by dialing *NHP (*647) from your cell phone or (775) 687-0400. Those calls will be answered directly by one of our dispatchers in the Department of Public Safety-Communications Center.

Zero is our goal for statewide fatalities so let’s all work together and make it zero DUI arrests and zero DUI crashes this holiday season. Remember to be patient and courteous when driving and make our highways safe for all of us to travel on.

Trooper Talk is presented by the Nevada Highway Patrol, Fallon District Office.