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By Jackie Valley (contact) 
Thursday, July 21, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Don’t spend too much time gawking at New York-New York's roller coaster or planes coming and going from the airport while driving along Tropicana Avenue — it could cost you.
Tropicana has seven of the 15 intersections with the most injury collisions in the Las Vegas Valley through the first six months of this year, according to Metro Police. Those dangerous Tropicana intersections stretch from Decatur Boulevard in the west to Pecos Road in the east, with several clustered near the Strip.
Many of the intersections with the most injury collisions exist in the central valley, with a few at congested points in the northeast and southeast valley.
Four of the five most dangerous intersections during the last half of 2010 — Lamb and Charleston boulevards; Paradise Road and Tropicana Avenue; Koval Lane and Tropicana Avenue; and Decatur Boulevard and Sahara Avenue — remain in the top 15 this year.
Overall, police said accidents have decreased 7.5 percent in Las Vegas this year. Other downward trends include traffic fatalities (down 10.5 percent), injury accidents (down 0.3 percent) and hit-and-run incidents (down 5 percent). Accidents on private property, however, increased by 5.3 percent, police said.
A look at the 15 intersections with the most injury collisions from January through June is below. The numbers include intersections in Metro Police jurisdiction, including Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Decatur Boulevard and Sahara Avenue
Eleven injury collisions occurred at the intersection during the first six months of this year. That tops the 10 injury collisions that occurred there in the last half of 2010.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Sahara Avenue and Arville Street
Eleven collisions caused injuries from January through June this year at the intersection.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Paradise Road and Tropicana Avenue
East of the Strip and next to UNLV, the intersection was home to 11 injury collisions in the first half of 2011. Ten injury accidents occurred there the last six months of 2010.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Tropicana Avenue and Decatur Boulevard
The congested intersection near the Orleans had 11 injury collisions in the first half of 2011.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Charleston Boulevard and Lamb Boulevard
The juncture is one of two intersections in the northeast valley on the top 15 list of injury collision locations. There were 10 injury collisions from January through June, one fewer than the last six months of 2010.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Tropicana Avenue and Koval Lane
The intersection — a prime shortcut to avoid Las Vegas Boulevard — had 10 injury collisions the first half of 2011, the same number recorded during the last six months of 2010.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Rainbow Boulevard and Charleston Boulevard
In the western valley, the intersection was the site of 10 injury collisions during the first six months of 2011.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Warm Springs Road and Eastern Avenue
Nine injury accidents occurred at the intersection from January through June this year.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Eastern Avenue and Tropicana Avenue
Nine collisions caused injuries at the intersection during the first half of 2011.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Paradise Road and Harmon Avenue
The intersection, which is surrounded by the Hard Rock Hotel and an array of restaurants, was the site of eight injury collisions from January through June.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Tropicana Avenue and Pecos Road
Eight injury accidents occurred at the intersection during the first half of this year.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Nellis Boulevard and Charleston Boulevard
In the northeast valley, the busy intersection recorded eight injury accidents from January through June this year.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue
Despite the throngs of tourists and cars congesting the Strip, only one intersection on Las Vegas Boulevard made the top 15 list: The Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard intersection on the south end of the Strip had eight injury collisions during the first six months of 2011.
Photo by Steve Marcus
Valley View Boulevard and Sahara Avenue
Just west of Interstate 15, the intersection had eight injury collisions from January through June.
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Tropicana Avenue and Cameron Street
Eight injury accidents occurred at this intersection during the first half of 2011.
I can think of at least 25 other intersections that are bad. The worst drivers I have ever seen live right here in LV. I blame the DMV for giving a license to anyone for the revenue and the Police Dept. for not enforcing the traffic laws. We have horrible, uncourteous, distracted drivers,it will never get any better. Don't blame the intersections blame the incompetent drivers here.
I have to agree with Bosco. When you consider that our streets are almost always dry and fog, blinding snow, and torrential rains are rarely seen in the valley, that pretty much places the blame on the human factor.
That being said, can anybody please explain why drivers here have to come to a nearly complete stop before turning onto a side street or into a parking lot? It doesn't seem to matter how fast they were traveling or how wide the street is that they're turning onto. I'm surprised there aren't many more rear end collisions due to this.
In an ironic twist, there is an accident as I type at Tropicana and Sandhill, a mere 1/2 mile east of the infamous Pecos.
See it all the time.
The are cars, not bumper cars.
I passed it as well. Eastbound from Pecos to Sandhill. Emergency vehicles blocking all lanes except the far right.
Maybe if they (the city of Las Vegas) would set the traffic light so you could go thrugh on a green, there would be less accidents. When was the last time you made three lights in a row on green?
Kablooey,
A driver should be slowing down to turn. How do you suggest they turn? Keep going at 45mph?
Sounds like you are the cause of rear enders! Give yourself adequate time to stop and you should avoid have a rear ender.
tigermike,
Please re-read my post. Slowing down before turning is, I agree, safe, rational driving. Slowing to 2 mph as if you had a sheet of ice under your wheels while on dry pavement is just poor driving.
p.s. I have never had a an accident and have had only one speeding ticket 34 years ago. I'm guessing you drive as well as you read.
People here in Vegas don't bother to even stop at a red light or stop sign when making a right turn. Just blow right through it. And I dare you to risk walking across the street in a crosswalk.
And for a good laugh, watch the morons try to figure out the traffic circles near Summerlin Hospital. Stunning.
It's all the taxi drivers on Tropicana is the reason for the mess. Between HQ and the airport on Trop is there main run. lol.
No kidding Travis!!! I had one guy nearly run me into the greenery as he was in the outer part of the circle and decided he needed to be in the inner part (where I was) to get off @ Hualapai! Never even used a signal. Plus with a total of 3 traffic circles on Town Center, it is a wonder I get home in one piece.
I have yet to see a group of people navigate the circles correctly here in Summerlin. They have absolutely no clue...they will actually wait 5 minutes till there are no other cars coming...Last I saw the sign said "Yield" not "stop till there aren't any more cars".
I have found that Vegas drivers are the worst..Kablooey is correct, slowing down to turn is one thing, but I always get the drivers who drive an insane amount over the limit, then want to slam on their brakes to a complete stop to turn into a driveway or side street. Hands down (for me) Las Vegas residents are the worst drivers I have ever come across. Even worse than California!
"And for a good laugh, watch the morons try to figure out the traffic circles near Summerlin Hospital. Stunning"
I got stuck in the myriad of circles around the Hospital and I'm not a moron. If you are not familiar with the area, you WILL get confused and lost. I had never been there before so I was unfamiliar with both the Hospital and the area. I thought I was going the right direction and after about 15 minutes, realized I was going in circles! LOLOLOL After swearing at myself, I started laughing at myself. I finally found my way out somehow but I still chuckle at that little excursion. Took me over an hour to get home - Summerlin to NLV.
There's no wonder of any intersection or roadway in this town being risky and dangerous. With the type of drivers here, their rudeness, yapping on their cellphones, running redlights, driving along all day with their signals blinking...and with little police enforcement to go along with all this, it's a wonder there aren't many more mishaps and fatalities, including drivers and pedestrians. And like someone else says...it would be of so good if the city would make the effort to syncronize the signal lights, and adjust as needed. This problem promotes inpatience and further compounds the problems here. But if nothing else...I believe that more law enforcement on our streets and freeways would certainly help out a lot...