Fatalities on Nevada's roads rose in 2016

It wasn't record setting, but it was disturbing for safety officials in Nevada to read the reports that more people died on Nevada roads in 2016 than the previous year.

Preliminary data shows that 327 traffic fatalities occurred on the state's roads in 2016, one more death than in 2015. There were five more crashes, more pedestrians deaths by vehicles (5), and more motorcyclist deaths (21).

Alcohol related crashes and deaths decreased in 2016, with 11.46 percent fewer deaths and 15.38 percent fewer crashes relating to drunk driving.

There were fewer crashes and deaths in Douglas County than in the previous year. The biggest increase in the state went to Carson City with a 250 percent rise in crashes and fatalities (5). Four of those were pedestrian versus vehicle crashes, the other was a car crash.

Total year-end traffic deaths could be adjusted based on ongoing traffic crash investigations. Statewide, traffic fatalities reached an all-time high of 432 in 2006.

“Every death on Nevada roads is a tragedy, and a loved one who will not be coming home,” Nevada Department of Transportation Director Rudy Malfabon explained. “When each person thinks about themselves and their family, the only acceptable traffic safety goal is zero fatalities. That’s why, for our state, there is no other acceptable goal than zero fatalities. Transportation and safety agencies across Nevada will continue working every day to save lives on Nevada roads.”

Unsafe driving behavior and an increasing number of miles traveled on Nevada roads may be two contributing factors to the traffic deaths. On average, the amount of miles traveled on Nevada roads increases nearly four percent every year. When compared to the amount of miles traveled on Nevada roads, traffic deaths have dropped from an average of 2.05 deaths per every 100 million miles traveled in 2005 to 1.3 fatalities per 100 million miles in 2015.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 94 percent of traffic deaths are the result of driver behavior.

“We focus on the driving behaviors and issues that lead to the most deaths and injuries on Nevada roads,” NDOT Chief Traffic Safety Engineer Ken Mammen explained. “Our goal is cutting the yearly traffic fatality average in half by 2030, with an ultimate goal of zero fatalities on Nevada roads. And we do that through the enforcement, engineering, emergency medical response and public education strategies defined in our Nevada Strategic Highway Safety Plan.”

To help save lives, traffic safety partners across the state utilize enhanced enforcement, engineering, emergency medical and educational strategies in six emphasis areas: pedestrian, intersection, seatbelt and motorcycle safety, as well as reducing impaired driving and limiting lane departure crashes by focusing on distracted driving.

During Joining Forces heightened enforcement campaigns last fiscal year, Nevada law enforcement officers issued more than 76,000 citations to help reduce impaired, unbuckled, distracted or otherwise unsafe driving.

In 2016, NDOT completed pedestrian safety improvements on State Route 160 in the Las Vegas Valley and Sun Valley Boulevard in the Reno area, joining numerous other roadway safety enhancements made by NDOT and partner agencies statewide.

In addition, zero fatalities public education campaigns have reached over 97 percent of Nevadans, with traffic safety messages displayed more than 182 million times on Nevada TV, radio, billboards, social media and more.

“For more than ten years, there was at least one traffic death over the Fourth of July holiday weekend,” Nevada Office of Traffic Safety Administrator Amy Davey added. “In 2016, the Nevada Department of Public Safety partnered with Uber and Mothers Against Drunk Driving in reminding Nevadans to never drive impaired, and, thankfully, there were no lives lost on Nevada roads during the Fourth of July weekend. It is one example of how Nevadans can truly come together to keep our roads safe.”

“We work every day to help everyone be safe on the road,” Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Jim Stewart explained. “But, ultimately we know that reaching zero fatalities relies on each and every person on the road, and we want to remind everyone to always be safe on Nevada roads.”