About 650,000 people live in Las Vegas, while over 40 million people visited Las Vegas in 2019. The number of visitors declined during the pandemic, but travelers returned to the City of Lights. Many visitors — and resident citizens — maneuver the city by vehicle, either their own, a taxi, or a bus. Streets and highways in and around Las Vegas are busy.
Las Vegas Traffic Accidents
Only fatal traffic crash data is published, so current car accident information in Las Vegas is not available. But the last year total crash information was available for the state was 2010. Then, according to the Nevada DOT, there were:
- 51,664 reported crashes
- 32,754 resulted in property damage
- 18,675 were injury crashes
- 235 resulted in fatalities
The 235 fatal car crashes in 2010 occurred when there were a little more than 37.3 million visitors to Las Vegas.
How to Stay Safe Driving in Las Vegas (or Anywhere)
In 2019, when over 42 million people visited Las Vegas, 284 fatal car wrecks were reported in Nevada. Sixty-five percent of those fatal crashes happened in Clark County.
Contrast those numbers with 2020, when the number of visitors to Las Vegas dropped to roughly 19 million. Still, there were 314 car crash fatalities in Nevada, and in 2021, deadly crashes increased to 357. This is not to say there is a definite causal relationship between the number of visitors to Las Vegas and the fatal car crashes.
Staying safe on the streets is more a matter of how people drive. Avoid having a car wreck in Las Vegas or elsewhere through awareness on an individual level.
Of course, being involved in a car wreck isn’t always avoidable. But understanding some common causes of car accidents in Las Vegas can help you avoid them.
There are three leading causes of car wrecks:
- Driving under the influence
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
These aren’t all the reasons for Las Vegas car accidents. But these three are significant because they are all within drivers’ control.
Driving under the Influence
Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or over the legally prescribed limit is automatically a violation in Nevada:
- .02 % for drivers under 21 years of age
- .04 % for commercial license holders
- .08 % for all others
Discretion is the better part of valor, and it’s much better to plan rather than face the consequences of a DUI.
Seeing the Las Vegas sites doesn’t have to mean driving. There are over 10,000 taxi drivers in Las Vegas, so there is no reason to get behind the wheel when you go out to enjoy the Strip. The most cost-effective and safest way to get around the Las Vegas Strip and downtown is to take a bus.
Speeding and Defensive Driving
Speed is the main factor in about one-third of deadly crashes in Clark County. That’s one reason why speeding tickets in Las Vegas cost you fines and time.
Speed can cause you problems even if it isn’t you speeding. That’s why defensive driving skills should be your number one tool in staying safe on the road. A few defensive driving tips include:
- Stay calm. If another driver exhibits road rage, give them space.
- Know and follow traffic laws.
- Maintain safe distances from the vehicle in front of you.
- Assume other drivers may have been drinking.
- Stay off your phone.
Remember to wear your seatbelt. Doing so is the single most effective action you can take to stay safe in a car. Remember, too. Airbags are not a substitute for seatbelts.
Distracted Driving
Las Vegas could easily be called The City of Distractions. According to the Nevada DMV, there are three main types of distraction. These are:
- Taking your eyes off the road
- Taking your hands off the steering wheel
- Taking your mind off your driving
Las Vegas is a vacation destination. Many of the other vehicles you encounter on the roads in and around Las Vegas are driven by visitors. It’s best to assume they may be pre-occupied with activities other than driving, such as:
- Using the cell phone
- Eating or drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Checking the GPS on their phones
- Any of a dozen other things other than driving
Texting and driving in Nevada is illegal, and this method of distracted driving could cost you $250. The best plan to avoid Las Vegas traffic accidents (and citations) is to drive defensively, take a taxi, or ride the bus.
But if you do have a car accident, contact a Las Vegas law firm as soon as possible. The Schnitzer Law Firm is an experienced and skillful personal injury law firm that will work with you to accomplish the best way to settle your car accident.
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To find out more about The Schnitzer Law Firm online at theschnitzerlawfirm.com or call (702) 960-4050 anytime to request a FREE consultation.
