Tuesday, March 18, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
ONE bright spot in the otherwise gloomy crime picture in Southern Nevada is that fewer people are drinking and driving.
This year's review of local arrest records revealed that only 8 percent of those cited for drinking while intoxicated were arrested again.
That means that more than 92 percent have changed their dangerous habits. The figures are astounding, since nationally nearly half those arrested for drunken driving are arrested a second time.
Something is definitely working in Clark County that deserves national attention. This is especially true in Nevada with 24-hour casinos and bars that serve complementary drinks. Other parts of the country have strict rules on the sale of liquor. In Nevada, you can buy a drink anytime, nearly anywhere.
The difference may be found in a unique intervention program that involved families of DUI victims. A visit to the Victim Impact Panel -- created by the volunteers at Stop DUI -- is a requirement for those convicted of drunken driving, where tragic lessons are graphically revealed to the offenders. Sad stories of innocent people struck down by such stupidities can have a telling effect.
Some of the victims have an opportunity to channel their anger at the drivers, who in turn see real faces instead of statistics. Only the most calloused could leave without serious self-reflection. We suspect most drunken driving is simply due to thoughtlessness.
The Victim Impact Panel is another strong, emotional element in the legal arsenal to remove drunks from the highway. Drivers face stiff fines, costly attorney fees, license suspensions and higher insurance costs.
Other states have similar fines and penalties, but Nevada has made full use of a victims' panel to drive home the tragedies of drunken driving.
It would be a supreme irony if the state known best for good times and parties becomes the first to accomplish a dramatic turnaround in drunken driving. If drivers learn to reconsider before driving -- or if friends and loved ones insist on it -- we may at last be able to remove this scourge from the highways.
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