LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After more than 400 people were killed on Nevada roadways in 2024, and months and years of continued increases in traffic fatalities statewide, early information from the state's March fatal report shows a slight turn in the opposite direction.
However, experts are cautiously optimistic about the downward trend in fatalities in 2025, especially as we head into summer—widely regarded as the deadliest time of year on our roads.
WATCH: Channel 13 talks with the director of the Road Equity Alliance Project about the latest traffic statistics
Whether you're from Las Vegas or just passing through, the sentiment from most drivers is clear: driving in the valley can be chaotic.
"There's definitely certain times of the day where I know I'm not driving at that time," Las Vegas local Erin Shannon said.
"It's actually a little scary for me, because I'm from Wyoming, where it's nice and calm," visitor Kim Kessler said. "People are in a hurry, and they're rude if you go too slow."
That might explain the shocked reaction from drivers when they found out that traffic fatalities are down so far through the end of March, compared to the same time last year.
"Wow, I would expect it to be the opposite," Kessler said.
Recently released state data shows 98 people have died on Nevada roads through March of year, which is a nearly 3% decrease from the same period in 2024.
Here in Clark County, the decline is more significant: 68 people have been killed on Clark County roads so far in 2025, compared to 85 in 2024—a 20% drop.
"Yeah, I wouldn't even know what would be the cause of that statistic," Shannon said.
Erin Breen with the Road Equity Alliance Project tells Channel 13 one of the biggest reasons she believes the numbers are down so far this year is because of what she calls the extremely deadly start to 2024.
"While I'm hopeful, I'm not counting my chickens," Breen said. "We're going to get to maybe a couple of months that weren't quite so terrible last year, and [the numbers will even out this year]. While they're better than they were last year, last year was so horrendous that this is not something to celebrate."
One of the most notable stats in the report is a nearly 30% decrease in the number of pedestrians killed in Clark County, which Breen says is due, in part, to adjustments made to traffic signal timing to allow more time for pedestrians to cross the street safely.
As we head into summer, Breen has one simple message.
"Whether it's your fault or it's not, it is going to ruin your life for a while if you take someone's life," Breen said. "It's going to be little consolation if it wasn't your fault, that's why I think the solution lies with the drivers paying attention, slowing down."
The state's fatal report for April is expected to be released after the first week of May, which Channel 13 will be looking at closely to see if the downward trend in fatalities continues.
