Though people typically regard car crashes as bad things, accidents that involve a fatality are especially tragic. Law enforcement agencies across the nation have used numerous different tactics to prevent all kinds of car accidents. Some measures are more successful than others.
Here in Nevada, the Department of Public Safety reports that 2018 was the deadliest year for motorists in the past ten years. Naturally, officials are concerned with these findings and will use them to implement additional safety strategies. If you or a loved one has been involved in any kind of car accident, the statistics in this report may not come as a surprise.
Car accident fatalities in 2018
The number of deaths due to car crashes in Nevada rose by 6.4% in 2018. In 2017, there were 311 fatalities resulting from car accidents, while 2018 saw 331 deaths. A representative for the Department of Public Safety said that the 2018 rate is the highest that Nevada has seen in ten years. He speculates that the state’s 4% growth in population could be one of the reasons why.
When looking at the number of actual crashes, those figures have gone up as well. In 2017, there were 292 crashes that had at least one death. 2018 saw that number rise to 301. This shows that many of these incidents involved multiple deaths.
What could cause this?
In addition to the possibility that the rising population impacted the rates of fatal crashes, the Department of Public Safety also points to seat belt laws in Nevada. In this state, not wearing a seat belt is a secondary law, which means that an officer will ticket you only if he or she has already pulled you over for another reason. Officials want to see it made into a primary law since the number of fatal car accidents involving failure to use a seat belt went up by 23% in 2018.
Some good news
Pedestrian fatalities dropped in 2018 by 18%. Officials say that they’d love to see the rate drop even further, but these findings are encouraging. They believe that their traffic safety initiative, known as the five “Es” – education, enforcement, engineering, emergency medical services and working with everybody – has contributed to the decline.
Another positive note is that bicyclist deaths dropped as well. In 2017, there were nine, and in 2018 there were eight. Though that seems like a small reduction, any downward trend is positive.
Conclusions
Though it’s great that pedestrian and bicyclist deaths have dropped, the rise in car accident fatalities is troubling. If you or someone you care about has suffered this kind of tragedy, you have certain legal rights of which you may be unaware. It is important that those responsible are held accountable for their actions and that you receive the justice you deserve.