Traffic Fatalities in Nevada Are Down, But More Work Still Needs To Be Done

According to a recent KSNV News 3 story about motor vehicle accident fatalities in the state, there were fewer car accident deaths in Nevada in July this year. However, more still needs to be done to keep traffic deaths on a downward trajectory.

So, how many car accidents have happened this year so far in Nevada? How bad are car crashes in the state? And why do so many accidents happen in Nevada? Below are the answers to these questions and more useful information from our Las Vegas car accident attorneys at Lasso Injury Law.

Car accident deaths down in July

This past July, there were 32 car accident fatalities in Nevada, according to KSNV News 3, based on accident data from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety. That figure is roughly the same as in July 2022, when 31 people died in motor vehicle fatalities statewide.

Meanwhile, there have been 209 car accident fatalities for the first seven months of the year, a decrease of 11.4 percent compared to the same seven-month period last year. However, it's worth noting that last year's car accident death toll in Nevada was extremely high.

Last year, a record high for car accident fatalities in Nevada

While this year's car accident death toll in Nevada is lower so far this year, last year was one of the highest in years. In 2022, a total of 382 people died in car crashes in Nevada, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Last year (2022) ranked as the fifth-deadliest year on Nevada roads in the past three decades," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

"We have a challenge with safety here in the state," outgoing Nevada Department of Transportation Director Kristina Swallow said, according to the same Las Vegas Review-Journal article. "We came off of that bad year (2021), but we're still far off from where we started."

In fact, 2021 and 2022 were among the fifth-highest car accident death tolls in Nevada since 1991. This is why traffic safety officials in the state insist that more still needs to be done to make Nevada's roads safer.

Why do so many car accidents happen in Nevada?

Car accidents happen for many reasons in Nevada. But often, it's due to drivers' reckless and negligent actions. Common causes of car accidents in the state often include:

Drunk driving, which continues to be one of the leading causes of car accidents in Nevada. In fact, in 2021, impaired drivers caused a record-high 116 car accident fatalities, according to accident data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Drivers who don't stay in their lane or veer into oncoming traffic, which was the second most common cause of fatal car accidents in Nevada between 2015 and 2019, according to the most recent Nevada Office of Traffic Safety annual crash report.
Speeding, which remains the third-leading cause of car accident fatalities statewide and accounted for 112 car accident fatalities in 2021, according to the annual state crash report and NHTSA accident data.

A Las Vegas car accident lawyer can protect your rights

You might think you don't need a lawyer if another driver caused your Nevada car accident. However, many car accident injury claims quickly turn into complicated legal cases. This is why you need a lawyer you can trust on your side, fighting for the justice and accountability you rightfully deserve.

Our Las Vegas car accident lawyers at Lasso Injury Law can help you every step of the way. We know the laws that apply to car crashes in Clark County and throughout Nevada. We understand how the legal system works. That's why we have such a strong track record of success.

Get the Nevada law firm that gets results. Contact us and schedule a free consultation with a legal team you can count on.