Nevada has seen an unwelcome surge in traffic fatalities this year. Overall, there have been 30% more fatalities thus far this year than there were during the same period in 2020.
Depending on where you live in the state, the news could be even more dire. Nye County, for example, has seen a whopping 366% increase in fatal wrecks, while Clark County has seen a 32% increase.
All of this bad news comes right when we’re embarking on the “100 Deadliest Days” of summer, the months when fatal wrecks have historically skyrocketed.
What is causing the rise in traffic fatalities?
There is likely a combination of factors in play causing the number of traffic fatalities to spiral upward, including more:
- Traffic on the highways. Traffic has definitely picked up quite a bit since this time last year, and people seem to be taking unreasonable chances on the road. At least 29 deaths involved those who weren’t buckled up when they got into collisions.
- Pedestrians afoot. Pedestrian traffic (along with bike and scooter usage) has also increased significantly over the last year. Drivers may not be paying as close attention as they should be when watching out for pedestrians.
- Inexperienced drivers. Every year, this is when new drivers, i.e., teens who just got their licenses and are out of school for the summer, take to the road. It is estimated that there are nearly double the usual number of inexperienced drivers out there, since many didn’t get their chance to practice last year.
All of this is a stark reminder that everybody needs to do their part to make the highways a little bit safer. Buckle up, slow down, put away the cellphones and turn down the music so you can concentrate on the road ahead.
If you are injured in a wreck caused by another driver, find out what it takes to pursue an injury claim. Fair compensation for your losses is only reasonable when you’re the victim of another driver’s mistake.
