Crash sites

Steve Kanigher and Keith Paul

Monday, Aug. 14, 2000 | 11:12 a.m.

Las Vegas motorists who like to play the odds would be wise to avoid Sahara Avenue at Interstate 15 whenever possible. It could be their worst gamble.

That location had 530 traffic accidents between October 1996 and October 1999, by far the most over that period of any intersection in the Las Vegas Valley, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

What is noteworthy about that location, and the valley's other nine most accident-prone intersections, is that they are not necessarily the most dangerous. Of the 3,508 reported accidents at those intersections over the past three years, only three were fatal, resulting in four deaths. Sahara at I-15 did not record a single fatal crash.

Transportation experts say the reason is that most crashes in these major intersections were low-speed, rear-end collisions due to high traffic volume. They say other streets with less traffic are often more prone to fatal crashes because there is more opportunity to speed.

"High volume actually slows down the traffic a little bit so even though there are more crashes, it lessens the severity somewhat," Jerry Pieretti, a state traffic safety coordinator, said.

Because the state only recently included I-15 intersections in its tabulations, Sahara where it meets the interstate became the valley's top accident-prone intersection, replacing Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. The Strip intersection recorded the most accidents in the valley between October 1992 and October 1996.

"At Sahara and I-15 and Sahara at Rancho Road, you have two major intersections close together," said Las Vegas city traffic engineer O.C. White. "You end up with motorists making a lot of decisions in a small area. When we get traffic to flow smoother, we can reduce the number of rear-end accidents."

The problems at Sahara where it meets I-15 were duly noted by the American Highway Users Alliance, which ranked the interchange 31st worst in the nation last year. More than 195,000 vehicles pass through there on a daily basis, by far the highest volume of any intersection in the valley.

Traffic engineers hope an ongoing $33.7 million face lift of the intersection that is scheduled to be completed by March 2002 will make it less dangerous. The work includes additional left turn lanes from Sahara to I-15 and added off-ramp lanes from the interstate to Sahara. Police also have targeted the intersection with increased crackdowns on motorists who follow too closely or change lanes erratically.

"I believe that traffic control will be a lot better through that area," NDOT spokesman Bob McKenzie said. "You will have a lot less congestion and the number of accidents should go down."

The next four most accident-prone locations in the valley all involve the Strip. In addition to the intersection at Tropicana, others include the Strip at both Flamingo Road and Sahara and the portion of the Strip north of Flamingo in front of such resorts as Caesars Palace, the Mirage and the Venetian.

Traffic engineers said there was little they could do to improve Strip intersections in past years because the influx of new and refurbished casinos meant new vehicle entrances and exits at those locations. Each new entrance to a resort affects traffic patterns.

While tourists may be in awe of the neon-lit resorts, Detective Bill Redfairn of Metro Police's traffic unit said, most accidents along the Strip are caused by locals.

"They drive it every day and they think they are more familiar with the roads," Redfairn said. "Traffic is so heavy and people try to do stupid things like trying to make a red light or turn right on red before (the oncoming) traffic. People have to learn to be patient and pay attention."

Also noteworthy is that Sahara and Rainbow Boulevard, the sixth most accident-prone intersection in the valley, was considered the nation's ninth most dangerous intersection in 1998 by State Farm insurance company. None of the five valley intersections with more accidents made the company's list. Sahara and Rainbow also has not had a fatal crash since at least October 1992.

State Farm spokesman Dick Luedke said intersections involving interstate highways were not included on his company's list. He was not sure why the Strip locations were omitted, however.

"The intersections on our list tended to be in suburban areas with a lot of shopping," Luedke said.

Earlier this month the company donated $18,350 to Clark County to study that intersection, with a promise of up to $100,000 in additional funds to make improvements. Company spokesman Gus Miranda said potential improvements at the intersection could include changes in nearby bus stop locations and a reconfiguration of the right-turn island from westbound Sahara to northbound Rainbow.

Other highlights from NDOT statistics:

The top 10 intersections in the unincorporated county produced 3,052 reported accidents since October 1996, with two of those crashes resulting in three fatalities.

"Charleston is one of the few major streets in that area that has freeway access," White said. "One thing we're looking at is dual left-turn lanes from westbound Charleston to southbound Lamb."

Seven intersections -- Sahara at Las Vegas Boulevard, Rancho Drive, Paradise Road and Decatur Boulevard, Charleston at Lamb and Decatur, and Bonanza Road at Eastern Avenue -- have been on the city of Las Vegas' top-10 list since at least October 1992. The city's top 10 intersections recorded 2,593 accidents since October 1996 but only four fatalities at four different intersections.

But the most accident-prone intersection in North Las Vegas over the past three years was Craig Road at I-15, which had 134 reported accidents. Ray Burke, the city's assistant director of public works, said 43,000 vehicles pass over I-15 on Craig Road daily, making it the most heavily traveled route in North Las Vegas. Again, residential and commercial growth is the major factor.

"What we're seeing is that volume along Craig Road has gone up 20 percent a year, which is higher than normal," Burke said.

He said the city has been able to reduce accidents along Lake Mead Boulevard between Las Vegas Boulevard and Civic Center Drive by replacing "suicide" left-turn middle lanes with medians. The city's top 10 intersections recorded 1,029 accidents in the past three years but only one fatality, and that was at Las Vegas Boulevard and Civic Center Drive.

"It takes more time to stop downhill on Boulder Highway than it normally does elsewhere," he said.

But the growth of Green Valley has caused a shift in traffic accidents within Henderson.

From October 1992 to October 1995 five of the 10 most accident-prone intersections in Henderson were along Boulder Highway and four involved Sunset Road. In the past three years six of the top 10 involved Sunset and only one was along Boulder Highway. Only four of the city's intersections -- Boulder Highway at Lake Mead, and Sunset at Green Valley Parkway, Mountain Vista Avenue and Valle Verde Drive -- have remained on the city's top-10 list since 1992.

"Sunset continues to get more traffic," Bartels said. "A lot of our accidents at Sunset and Stephanie Street (the city's second most accident-prone intersection) were left-turn accidents, so we put in dual left-turn lanes on Sunset. That should decrease the accidents considerably."

There were 945 reported accidents at Henderson's top 10 intersections over the past three years but no fatalities.