Nevada traffic fatalities decrease significantly in 2019

Nevada’s Office of Traffic Safety says that total fatalities decreased by 45 to 284 in calendar year 2019.

The improvement was completely because of significant reductions in deaths in Washoe and Clark counties.. Washoe’s total fell from 44 to 35 in 2019 and Clark’s went from 225 to 180.

By comparison, Carson City suffered four fatalities during the year, double the two deaths reported in 2018. Douglas County also reported an increase in 2019 — five deaths compared to two the year before.

Carson reported zero pedestrian or bicycle rider deaths for the year. In Douglas, no pedestrians or bicyclists died but two motorcyclists were killed.

Only Lander County reported zero fatalities.

Lyon County again had a bad year with 12 fatalities — the same as 2018. Two of those victims were pedestrians.

One factor that may have helped reduce the number of deaths is that, apparently, more drivers are wearing their seatbelts. Deaths by unrestrained drivers and passengers fell from 81 in 2018 to 55 in 2019.

Despite the calendar year decrease, Nevada finished 2019 on a sour note with fatals increasing dramatically in both November and December compared to 2018. A total of 63 died in those two months this past year compared to 40 the year before.

Statewide, the number of pedestrians killed in 2019 decreased from 82 to 70.

But Washoe reported 16 pedestrians killed in 2019 compared to 13 the year before

Deaths by motorcyclists, bike riders and scooters/mopeds were also down. Just 46 motorcyclists died in crashes compared to 54 the year before, seven bike riders compared to eight and two scooter riders compared to three in 2018.