9/20/10-With the start of the 2011 regular session in Nevada five months away lawmakers are busy offering bills in anticipation of opening day. The theme of many pieces of legislation being prefiled for consideration at the statehouse next year is road safety.
More than 500 bills have been requested for discussion so far by lawmakers, state agencies and counties. Topics include texting while driving, seat belt use, automated enforcement, tire pressure checks, and impaired driving.
There are multiple requests for bills to prohibit texting while driving and an all-out ban on cell phone use for the state’s youngest drivers. During the previous legislation session in 2009 the Nevada Senate endorsed a texting ban but it died in the Assembly.
Another proposal would allow police to pull over drivers solely for not wearing their seat belts.
In addition to the benefit of safety, the state would get a financial boost if the stricter enforcement is adopted. In exchange for tightening their belt rule, Nevada could collect incentive money from the federal government.
Another legislative effort would require certain service stations to check the air pressure of vehicles. Repair shops and businesses that do oil changes or break service would be responsible for checking the air pressure in their customers’ tires.
According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office  report from 2007, more than 25 percent of cars and nearly 33 percent of SUVs, vans and pickups have one or more tires underinflated 8 pounds per square inch. Air pressure loss under normal driving conditions is 1 to 2 pounds of pressure per month.
Other topics being pushed for consideration during the upcoming session include efforts to authorize the use of automated cameras to ticket vehicles caught running red lights, and stiffen impaired driving penalties.
These and other issues can be considered during the session that begins in February 2011.