Nevada Road Safety Insights

Just how dangerous is driving in Nevada? According to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the state saw 309 fatal crashes in 2020, making the fatality rate around 10.4 per 100,000 people.

This means that Nevada may not be one of the top five states with the highest fatal accident rates. Nonetheless, it still had a higher fatal crash rate than high-population states like California, New York, and Illinois.

Read on for some important insights into Nevada road safety. According to Jamie S. Cogburn and Joseph J. Troiano,  Las Vegas car accident lawyers, if you’ve been involved in Las Vegas car accidents caused by another person, a lawyer may be able to help you recover compensation.

Significant Nevada Traffic Statistics

The NDOT dashboard provides even more information useful for forming a holistic picture of traffic safety in the state. For example, NDOT reported that the number of fatal crashes jumped from 309 in 2020 to 360 in 2021, leading to 385 fatalities, up from 333 the previous year.

Thus, from 2020 to 2021, the number of fatal crashes and fatalities grew by 51 and 52, respectively.

Pedestrian And Bicyclist Fatalities

The number of bicyclist fatalities and wrecks declined from 2020 to 2021. Overall, 7 fatal bicycle wrecks led to 11 fatalities in 2020. However, according to NDOT, those numbers dropped to 6 accidents, which caused 6 of the total number of traffic deaths in 2021.

Unfortunately, the number of fatal accidents involving pedestrians remained constant between 2020 and 2021. In both years, 80 fatal accidents occurred, killing 81 people in 2020 and an additional 80 individuals in 2021.

Commercial Motor Vehicle Wrecks

Commercial motor vehicles represent a significant danger on the road due to their large size. In 2020, 2 wrecks in a commercial motor vehicle led to 2 individuals losing their lives. The next year, 4 crashes claimed the lives of 4 individuals, essentially doubling the previous year’s numbers.

Motorcycle Crash Statistics

Finally, the number of individuals who were killed in motorcycle accidents rose from 63 in 2020 to 88 in 2021. This increase corresponded with a rise in the number of motorcycle fatality accidents during the same period, from 62 in 2020 to 86 in 2021. The rate of motorcycle fatalities rose from 1.97 in 2020 to 2.78 the next year.

Causes of Nevada Traffic Fatalities

Knowing the number of fatal crashes is only part of the story in learning about Nevada road safety. A comprehensive picture of traffic safety in the state also accounts for the circumstances behind these wrecks. For instance, data from NDOT shows the following:

Speeding

As many as one out of every three fatal accidents is caused by speeding. Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 436 fatal accidents occurred, resulting in 491 deaths. Of these, 112 deaths happened in 2021 alone, an increase from the 95 that occurred in 2017. The vast majority of fatal speeding wrecks happened in Clark County.

Encouraging drivers to reduce their speed can play a significant role in reducing the number of traffic accidents attributable to speeding. This includes encouraging drivers not only to follow posted speed limits but also to reduce their speed during periods of inclement weather or heavy traffic congestion.

Lane Departures

Lane departures are present in over one-third of fatal accidents. A lane departure occurs when a vehicle is traveling and leaves its designated lane due to a collision, rollover, or other similar events.

In 2021, 152 wrecks involved lane departures and led to 164 deaths. The trend of accident deaths due to lane departures has been increasing since 2017. Again, Clark County saw the greatest number of lane departure fatality accidents.

There are a number of driver errors and behaviors that contribute to lane departure fatality accidents. Some of these behaviors include driving while distracted, driving too fast for road conditions, and losing control of the vehicle.

In general, such behaviors are correctable as long as drivers are willing to give their full attention to the road. They must also carefully consider their decisions behind the wheel before executing them.

Intersections

Thirty-two percent of traffic collisions that result in death happen at intersections. These are locations where traffic from different directions converges at a single point. Drivers must obey traffic control signs and right-of-way laws to navigate these areas successfully. A total of 122 people lost their lives in crashes at intersections in 2021.

Impressing the right-of-way rules in drivers’ minds is critical if the ever-increasing number of intersection accidents is to be reduced. Motorists must follow these laws because they provide a uniform and predictable set of rules that all drivers can be expected to follow.

When these laws are disobeyed, other motorists may not know how to respond safely. Alternatively, they might misjudge the intentions of other drivers.

Impaired Driving

Finally, more people are driving on Nevada roads while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. This has led to an increase in both accidents and deaths.

In 2017, 119 accidents caused by an impaired driver led to 131 related deaths. This number steadily rose throughout 2021, which saw 167 accidents that led to 184 deaths. Unsurprisingly, Clark County experienced the greatest number of impaired driving-related fatal accidents.

Lowering the number of deaths due to impaired driving comes down to motorists deciding not to get behind the wheel while under the influence and not allowing their friends to do so either.

Enforcement efforts are limited and can, therefore, only go so far in detecting drunk and drugged drivers and removing them from the road before they cause a crash.

Overview of Nevada Road Safety

When compared to the rest of the United States, Nevada is nowhere near the most dangerous state for motorists. However, state statistics reveal the troubling discovery that the number of fatal accidents is increasing year over year.

What is perhaps more upsetting is that many of the reasons for these fatal accident increases are well within the control of motorists themselves to prevent. Exercising additional care and giving thought to your actions can go a long way toward reducing traffic-related deaths throughout Nevada and beyond.

Do you have questions about road safety in your city?,  Contact us and we’ll get back to you.