Editorial: Safer roads, safer traffic

Monday, July 30, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

With more drivers on the roadways every year, it would be natural to expect more fatalities every year. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported some good news last week - traffic deaths, compared to the total miles traveled, fell to a record low in 2006.

The actual number of people killed in traffic accidents around the country was still appallingly high at 42,642. But this was the lowest number of people - including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists - killed in crashes since 2001.

Nevada, however, did not follow the national trend. Our rate of traffic fatalities increased 1.2 percent, from 427 killed to 432 . We weren't as bad as neighboring Arizona and Utah, where rates increased 9.2 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. But our other neighboring states all saw decreases.

Missouri led the nation with a 13 percent drop in traffic fatalities. Transportation officials there told local reporters that improvements on 2,200 miles of the state's busiest roads largely accounted for the welcome statistic. We hope Nevada legislators and Gov. Jim Gibbons take note of Missouri's experience.

Between now and 2015 Nevada is facing a $5 billion deficit for urgently needed road improvements. With Gibbons dead-set against raising any taxes for any reason, and the Legislature following his lead, they agreed last month to throw a billion dollars at the problem, most of it borrowed, and leave the rest of the deficit for another day.

Large-scale road improvements here would also likely reduce car crashes and deaths. The Legislature and even Gibbons should agree that would be worth a few small tax increases.