LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Traffic fatalities in Nevada are up 30%, according to a new report by the nonprofit research group TRIP.
Researchers said they tracked data between 2019 and 2022. According to the report, nationally, vehicle traffic was down by about 40% in 2020 and while some travel has rebounded, vehicle traffic is still below pre-pandemic levels.
However, the report states that despite fewer vehicles on the road, fatalities spiked and are "significantly higher" than pre-pandemic levels. Nationally, the number of fatalities rose 19% from 36,096 to 42,795. Here in Nevada, it went up 30%. In 2019, there were 304 fatalities and in 2022, there were 396 fatalities. The report states those crashes caused a total of $16 billion in "societal harm", which includes $4 billion in economic costs and $12 billlion in quality-of-life costs.
As for bicycle and pedestrian fatalities, the report states those numbers are up 19% nationally.
"Saving lives on our nation's roadways requires teamwork - from the drivers who travel our roads to the governments that fund road work to the manufacturers, contractors and innovators involved," said Jeff Johnson, the Board of Directors Chairman for the American Traffic Safety Services Association. "We must all commit to doing our part to reduce the loss of life and serious injuries on American roadways that cost an estimated $1.9 trillion last year and inflected never-ending pain on families."
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation introduced a National Roadway Safety Strategy to address the issue. It promotes things like education on speeding and impaired driving, expanding vehicle features to minimize the impact of crashes, and providing roadway features like traffic roundabouts and curb extensions to promote safer driving.
"The approaches to transportation safety that got us to this point are clearly not delivering the impact they once did," said Jake Nelson, the AAA director of traffic safety advocacy and research. "With record-setting investment in our nation's transportation system, we have a real-time opportunity to leverage it to turn the tide on traffic deaths and serious injuries among road users."
According to a 2017 report by AAA, the U.S. has a $146 billion backlog in needed roadway safety improvements.
