Nevada is a popular tourist destination, thanks to a temperate climate most of the year. Visitors also come to enjoy breathtaking desert vistas, major events like Burning Man, and attractions like Red Rock Canyon, Lake Tahoe, Hoover Dam, and, of course, Las Vegas.
As of March 2023, visitor volume in Las Vegas alone was tallied at 40.4 million for the preceding 12-month period, up 13.6% from the previous year.
Between residents and tourists, traffic can be a problem, as can resulting car accidents. Which cities in Nevada experience the greatest number of collisions each year? Is there anything you can do to avoid auto accidents as a resident or visitor?
Crash Data For the State of Nevada
After years of seeing a downward trend in traffic fatalities in Nevada, they spiked in 2022, with 416 fatal collisions. This number dropped 7% in 2023 to 386 fatality crashes, but these two years remain the highest on record since 2006.
Data collected over a 10-year period, from 2010 to 2019, showed an average of 267 fatal accidents per year, resulting in 292 deaths on average.
About 45% of these accidents involved two or more vehicles colliding at an angle, while 40% involved only a single vehicle. Another 6% of fatal crashes involved rear-ending, 3% were head-on collisions, and 3% were single-vehicle rollover accidents.
Nevada Cities With the Most Accidents
The number of accidents in Nevada cities seems to align with population, as larger populations statistically tend to have more accidents. In a 10-year period, Clark County saw the most fatal accidents, accounting for about 66% of the state’s accidents.
This number is no surprise, considering Clark County is home to Las Vegas, with a population of over 644,000, along with Henderson (318,000), North Las Vegas (264,000), Enterprise (225,000), Spring Valley (220,000), Sunrise Manor (198,000), and Paradise (189,000).
Washoe County came in at a distant second, representing about 13% of fatal crashes in the state. Major cities in this county include Reno, with a population of around 265,000, and Sparks, with about 108,000 residents.
Nye County, where Pahrump is located (population 44,000), and Elko County, where you’ll find the city of Elko (population 20,000), tied for third place, both accounting for 3% of fatal collisions in the state.
When and Why Nevada Traffic Accidents Occur
Knowing when accidents are more likely to occur and why they happen could help you avoid a collision that results in property damage, injuries, and even fatalities. Data reveals that accidents in Nevada are most likely to occur on a Saturday, although numbers for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are also higher than earlier in the week.
Additionally, the hours of 6:00–9:00 p.m. tend to feature the most accidents, perhaps due to an overlap in nightly commuting, people going out for the evening, and sunset hours that can impact visibility.
The reasons assigned to crashes vary, but the number one cause is impaired driving (i.e., driving under the influence). Impaired driving was cited as the primary factor in over 42% of fatal accidents. Other common causes included lane departures, speeding, and distracted driving.
Stay Safe on Nevada Roadways
While you have no control over how other drivers on the roadway behave, you can reduce the chance of being involved in an accident by knowing what times to avoid heavy traffic areas. You can also prepare for accidents by knowing what to do when a collision occurs.
Contact an experienced attorney to help you determine the steps to take. Even though accidents are more likely to occur in certain locales in Nevada, they can happen anywhere, at any time. With the right knowledge and preparation, however, you can reduce the risk of being involved in a car accident.
Contact Our Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyers at De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers For Help Today
If you’ve been injured in Las Vegas, NV, and need legal help contact our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case evaluation today.
De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Las Vegas Office
1149 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV. 89104
(702) 222-9999
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De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Summerlin Office
410 S Rampart Blvd, Ste 480 Las Vegas, NV. 89145
(702) 297-6373
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De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers – Henderson Office
9555 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV. 89123
(702) 997-4264
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