1999 was a dangerous year for pedestrians in valley

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2000 | 10:21 a.m.

Clark County roadways became a more dangerous place for pedestrians in 1999, despite the drop in the total number of fatal traffic accidents in the Las Vegas Valley.

There were 48 pedestrians killed in the county last year compared with just 30 the year before, but there were only 193 fatal accidents in 1999, down from 203 the year before.

The rise in pedestrian deaths isn't so much a jump as a return to normal numbers after an amazingly safe 1998, said Bruce Mackey, state education officer for bicycle and pedestrian safety for the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

"Normally we end up with around 60 pedestrian deaths statewide, but in 1998 we had a very good year with only 46 pedestrian deaths in the entire state," Mackey said. "We had two more deaths in Clark County in 1999 than there were in the entire state in 1998."

The numbers of pedestrian deaths in Clark County are similar to 1996's total of 51 and the 46 in 1997.

"We just finished two days worth of meetings about this, trying to identify the factors that gave us such a good year in 1998, only to fall back last year," Mackey said. "It's not like we found a golden bullet in 1998 that solved the pedestrian accident problem, but we'll keep looking."

The same trend is mirrored by Metro Police statistics.

There were 105 fatal traffic accidents in Metro's jurisdiction in 1999 and 39 pedestrians killed, compared to 108 fatal accidents and 32 pedestrian deaths in 1998.

The reason for the increase in pedestrian deaths isn't easily answered.

"The leading cause comes up as jaywalking," Mackey said. "Jaywalking shouldn't absolve drivers of all responsibility though. Many times, I think if drivers just slowed down, many accidents would be avoided."

Jaywalking incidents are on the increase in Las Vegas, and Metro has concentrated on issuing $90 jaywalking citations, Metro traffic Lt. John Thornton said.

"We've had an increase in the number of accidents caused by jaywalking, and I don't know if it's the influx of new people or what," Thornton said. "One of the problems is if you look at the size of the city blocks here, they are a lot bigger than other places.

"Usually CAT (Citizens Area Transit) bus stops are in the middle of these big blocks, and we've had several fatalities with people crossing mid-block after they get off or to get on a bus."

Another problem is wide streets without medians. Medians, Mackey said, would at least cut down on the distance walkers have to go to avoid vehicles.

A median is something Danny Noonan, a 78-year-old resident who lives off Bonanza Road between Eastern Avenue and Mojave Road, would like to see added to Bonanza to make crossing the busy street easier.

"We have no lights between Eastern and Mojave on Bonanza, and cars just don't slow down," said Noonan, a resident at McKnight Senior Village, 651 McKnight St. "I try to walk across all those lanes in the crosswalk and a lot of drivers refuse to stop.

"I've started putting my hand in my pocket like it's a gun and pointing it at the drivers as I walk across. Then they slow down."

Residents at the 110-unit complex say they'd like to see a light at McKnight and Bonanza, and worry that without one someone will be hurt or killed.

"There is so much traffic in this city it's really unsafe for pedestrians," Jane Werkstell, another Senior Village resident said. "When I'm on the sidewalk getting ready to go onto the crosswalk, I can feel the wind whipping me from the cars as they pass. I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette."

Mackey said it usually takes about three months for the state's police departments and sheriff's offices to compile all of their accident data and send it into the DMV for analysis.

"Once we get that we'll start peeling the onion," Mackey said.