Traffic fatalities increase in Carson City, Douglas County

Statewide road and highway fatalities are down significantly through the first nine months of this year.

The total as of the end of September was 194 deaths, 64 fewer than the 263 who had been killed in 2018.

But, in Carson City, the number was up from just one to three so far this year, with one of the victims a motorcyclist. And in Douglas County, the number of deaths rose from one a year ago to five thus far in 2019, two of them motorcyclists.

The big reason for the decrease was in Clark County, which reported 124 fatalities this year compared to 183 a year ago. Of those, 37 were pedestrians but that too is lower than in 2018 when 48 Clark County pedestrians were killed as of the end of September.

Statewide, 50 pedestrians have died on Nevada streets and highways this year compared to 56 last year. They are joined by 36 motorcyclists compared to 46 a year ago. The number of bicyclists killed was steady at six as was the number of moped and scooter riders at two.

In Washoe County, the number of deaths fell by one to 30 this year. But within that total, the number of pedestrians killed rose from six to 11.

Churchill County, Humboldt, Nye, Pershing, Lander, Lyon and White Pine counties were also down this year. There were no fatalities as of Sept. 30 in Humboldt, Lander and White Pine counties.

Eureka and Mineral, like Carson and Douglas, were up in the statistics compiled by the state Office of Traffic Safety.