State sees decrease in fatal accidents

Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2001 | 11:23 a.m.

Nevada traffic fatalities jumped last March when a van rollover near Jean claimed eight lives, and just days later six teen-agers were killed when struck by a minivan while picking up trash along Interstate 15.

As of Dec. 31, there were 255 fatal crashes resulting in 309 deaths reported across the state. That's down from 307 fatal crashes and 350 deaths in 1999.

According to the state Office of Traffic Safety, the worst year for traffic deaths in Nevada was 1998, when 361 people died on state roadways.

In the Las Vegas area, there were 152 fatal crashes resulting in 182 deaths as of New Year's Eve. There were 174 fatal crashes and 195 deaths in all of 1999 in the area.

In the Reno area, there were 36 fatal crashes resulting in 43 deaths as of Dec. 29. In 1999, there were 38 fatal wrecks and 41 deaths.

Julie Butler, highway safety coordinator for the agency, said all reports aren't in yet, but the statewide decline "is very exciting."

Traffic-related deaths are down in all major categories, including those involving pedestrians and alcohol.

Through Dec. 28, there were 83 fatal crashes statewide involving alcohol, with 92 deaths. In 1999, the total was 114 alcohol-related crashes and 129 deaths.

Sandy Heverly, executive director of the Las Vegas organization Stop DUI, said that while the reduction in alcohol-related fatalities is good news, there still is too often needless tragedy for victims.

"Encouraging as those numbers are, we are striving for zero," she said. "That's always been our goal and it will continue to be our goal. The DUI-related numbers still represent senseless deaths."

Pedestrian deaths also showed a marked decline in 2000, down to 45 from 70 in 1999.

Butler said pedestrian deaths are still high in Nevada compared with other states, and that more public education is needed to persuade both locals and tourists to be more careful crossing streets.