DMV report: Drivers’ lack of attention key cause of fatalities

Jace Radke

Wednesday, May 2, 2001 | 10:14 a.m.

A Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety report on traffic fatalities points to drivers failing to keep to their lanes, speeding and losing concentration as the biggest factors in the 307 fatal accidents statewide in 1999.

The Nevada Statewide Traffic Fatality report shows that 350 people were killed in car crashes in 1999, down from 361 deaths as a result of the 315 fatal crashes reported in 1998.

Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Trooper Alan Davidson said troopers regularly observe inattentive drivers.

"I've seen people talking on cell phones, eating or tending to children when they should be concentrating on driving," Davidson said. "I've even seen someone filling in a crossword puzzle behind the wheel and a mother breast-feeding her baby while driving.

"People think that since they've driven down the road a million times before they can do other things while they're behind the wheel, but when you're driving a 2,000-pound car at 70 mph and eating a cheeseburger, your mind is not on the road."

From 1997 through 1999, 542 accidents were at least partially caused by drivers failing to stay in their lanes, 405 because of speeding; 397 accidents were blamed on drivers failing to pay attention. Alcohol played a role in 380 fatal accidents over that time period. In 1999, 114 alcohol-involved crashes were reported, compared to 137 in 1998 and a record 156 in 1990.

Of the 307 fatal crashes in 1999, 174 occurred in Clark County.

Between 1990 and 1999, 3,171 people lost their lives on Nevada's highways; 2,382 were occupants of a motor vehicle, 533 were pedestrians, 181 were motorcyclists and 64 were bicyclists. Nevada's fatal crash rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1991 was 2.48, falling to 1.78 in 1999.

In a prepared statement Richard Kirkland, director of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, said drivers need to be aware of how their actions contribute to crashes.

"Motor vehicles can become a lethal weapon when drivers fail to obey the rules of the road or forget to show courtesy for other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists," Kirkland said. "Behind each statistic is a human story of suffering and property loss due to the deadly mix of vehicles, speed, alcohol, fatigue and not using seatbelts."