Vol. 3, No. 1
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October 31, 2005
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE |
COPYWRITING
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Highway Deaths Increased In 2004 According To U.S. DOT Figures
Nevada Death Rate Higher Than National Average
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released highway figures for 2004. Highway deaths in Nevada totaled 395, which computes to 16.91 deaths per 100,000 population. The report indicates that 42,636 people were killed nationally, about 14.52 per 100,000 population.
One of the records that state and federal officials maintain is what they call "alcohol related crashes." Most often we think of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), but the government keeps records on any alcohol use. One record for Nevada drivers, in 39 percent of crashes the driver had plus or minus .01 percent alcohol in the bloodstream. One is considered impaired, drunk that is, at .08 percent.
Chuck Abbott of the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) says "Our alcohol involved fatality rate decreased in 2004." Abbott says that, "In 2003 our alcohol related fatality rate was 49 percent while in 2004 it dropped to 39 percent." There doesn't seem to be a breakdown on alcohol involved and actual DUI occurrence.
Pure numbers don't tell the whole story according to Abbott. "The ratio of fatalities to population has steadily decreased over the last 30 years." As an example, in 1971 there were 46.65 deaths per 100,000 population while in 2001 that figure had dropped to 14.98 per 100,000. In 1971 there were 228 deaths in Nevada traffic while in 2001 there were 314.
"The trend seems to be parallel to the nation," Abbott says. "While we did have a record number of fatalities in 2004, the ratio per population really did not change much." Percentage-wise, 1972 was a high-point for traffic fatalities in Nevada with 259 killed, 49.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
Speed was one of the primary causes of death in 2004 according to these latest figures. "Speed is an issue in Nevada," Abbott says. One hundred thirty five people died as a result of speed, about 34 percent of the deaths in the state. The figures show that 259 deaths involved people over the age of five and three under five in passenger vehicles, the balance in trucks, motorcycles, and pedestrians.
In passenger cars, 123 people died while wearing seat belts, but Abbott says seatbelts are a definite safety factor in Nevada. "Nevada's safety belt use rate has increased significantly over the years," he says. "Still we are finding a high portion of fatalities that were not belted in." Abbott says, "Our (user) rate in 2004 was 94 percent, which made us the second highest state in the nation." He pointed out that while it is the law that you wear a safety belt, you can't be stopped if you aren't obviously wearing one. He calls the law secondary safety belt use law.
There were 52 deaths involving motorcyclists, and of those, 38 were wearing approved helmets. Sixty pedestrians were killed during 2004 and 29 deaths occurred from big rig crashes.
Breakdown:
- Passenger cars 154
- Trucks 108
- Other (Unknown) 5
- Motorcycle Riders 52
- Non-motorists (Includes pedestrians, bicyclists, bystanders) 76
The report says that the economic cost of motor vehicle traffic crashes in Nevada is $1.873 billion and that nationally that cost is $230.568 billion.
Although speed is considered to be a high percentage factor in Nevada traffic deaths, the number of people killed annually compared to the number of people driving has been going down yearly. Gas prices have been climbing and some are saying that we could save money and lives by returning to the old 55 mile per hour speed limit. This doesn't seem to compute though when looking at highway deaths over the years and the increases in population.
Automobiles are far safer today than they were 20 and 30 years ago, highways have been improved throughout the state, and although we all have stories to tell, most drivers seem to have safety in their minds as they navigate the Silver Roads.
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