Nevada traffic deaths on rise

Jace Radke

Monday, Jan. 20, 2003 | 11 a.m.

Pinpointing a cause for the rising numbers of traffic accident fatalities across the state is next to impossible, but officials agree that wearing a seat belt would trim the number of deaths.

"There's really no rhyme or reason to traffic fatalities," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Jim Olschlager said. "There are a million factors that can play a role, anything from weather to population growth or the usual culprits like drunk driving and failing to wear a seat belt.

"The best thing people can do is buckle their seat belts. A lot of the fatal accidents we go out on would be survivable if people only buckled up."

Statewide in 2002, 368 people died in 321 fatal accidents, up from 314 deaths in 285 fatal accidents in 2001, said Chuck Abbott, chief of the state traffic safety office.

In Clark County, 208 people died in 189 fatal crashes in 2002, up from 189 deaths in 169 fatal accidents in 2001.

Abbott's office gets about $2 million a year in federal funds to be distributed to programs and agencies to fight the growing numbers of traffic fatalities.

"This year we got together with Metro Police, the NHP, UNLV's Safe Community Partnership and other groups to outline the areas of need that this money should go toward," Abbott said of a meeting last week that brought more than 20 law enforcement officials together to discuss the mounting numbers of traffic deaths.

The group decided to focus on five areas: driver training programs; limiting drunken driving; developing ways that allow quick access to traffic records for law enforcement agencies; educating pedestrians; and promoting seat belt use.

Plans and programs will be submitted to the state traffic office for approval.

One area that is already being pushed is strengthening the state's seat belt laws. Failing to wear a seat belt now is considered a secondary offense, meaning that officers cannot make a traffic stop for the seat belt violation alone, Metro traffic detective Bill Redfairn said.

"We want to make that a primary offense, so that an officer on the street can make a stop," Redfairn said. "It would definitely decrease the number of fatalities, and it doesn't cost the taxpayers or the legislature anything."

Redfairn said that a bill calling for the change will be introduced during the upcoming legislative session and will be before the Assembly Transportation Committee. The bill is supported by AAA of Nevada and the Safe Community Partnership, a federally funded research group studying traffic fatalities in the county.

"The chances of surviving an accident double if you're wearing a seat belt, so we'd really like to see that law strengthened," said Lisa Foster, spokeswoman for AAA of Nevada.

Foster would also like to see the child safety restraint laws changed in the state so that older children are restrained. The law now states that children up to 4 years old must be in a child seat, but Redfairn would like to see that changed to 8 years old.

Another piece of legislation that could help lower fatality rates across the state is Assemblyman Mark Manendo's bill that would lower the legal blood alcohol rate from .10 to .08.

Sandy Heverly, head of Stop DUI, an activist group against drunk driving, said that she will again support the bill for a seventh straight legislative session.

"Hopefully we'll have a little more leverage this year because of the loss of federal highway funds that will happen if it's not passed," Heverly said.

If Nevada does not change the limit the state stands to lose $4 million in highway funds in 2004, and about $29 million over the next four years, Heverly said.

Thirty-four states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico already have a limit of .08. The Nevada Resort Association and restaurant and tavern associations have successfully lobbied against the change in the past, Heverly said.

Another area that has to be addressed is pedestrian accidents, a key area of concern in Clark County, said Erin Breen, director of the Safe Community Partnership.

"If you consider the growth and the amount of vehicle miles traveled on Clark County roads in 2002, traffic fatalities only involving cars were slightly down," Breen said. "The pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle accidents really pushed us up this year."

Forty-five pedestrians were killed on Clark County roadways in 2002, accounting for all but 15 of the pedestrian fatalities in the state. In 2001, 33 pedestrians were killed in Clark County.

There were six bicycle fatalities last year in Clark County, up from three in 2001. Motorcyclist deaths in the county jumped from 14 in 2001 to 22 in 2002.

Pedestrian accidents should be slowed by the addition of countdown clock traffic signals instead of "Walk/Don't Walk" signs, Breen said.

Breen's group and the AAA also support graduated licensing for teenage drivers. Currently drivers under the age of 16 are restricted from transporting people under the age of 21 for 90 days. Sixteen-year-olds are prohibited for 60 days, and 17-year-olds have to wait 30 days before driving with underage passengers.

"The best thing teens can do is wait before transporting other teens," Foster said. "Other teens in the car increase the distraction for teen drivers."

Most states with restricted licensing require 16-year-olds to refrain from transporting people under the age of 21 for six to 12 months, Breen said.

Metro Police and the NHP have stepped up patrols in areas known as "hot spots" for accidents and traffic fatalities.

Metro tracks the top 10 intersections for traffic accidents and saturates those areas with patrols.

Over the last six months there have been:

The NHP has started to target stretches of freeway that have traditionally had high numbers of accidents, Olschlager said. At least once a week two troopers are assigned to patrol the areas, Olschlager said.10"The best thing people can do is buckle their seat belts. A lot of the fatal accidents would be survivable if people only buckled up."