LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Law enforcement officials from the Stateline to the valley are on alert: the Memorial Day holiday marks the beginning of the 100 deadliest days, with a spike in deadly crashes.
Traffic safety advocates have been sounding the alarm for years and raising awareness, but the number of deaths in Nevada continues to rise every year.
Anita Pepper with the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety says it’s been a problem for a while. “For the past 10 years, our office has been tracking the number of lives lost on Nevada’s roadways, and unfortunately, the number keeps climbing year after year,” Pepper said.
It’s something FOX5 has been covering extensively.
There have been 96 deadly crashes in Clark County, and 133 fatalities across the state since the end of April.
Pepper says we won’t have the final data from this year until 2027, after all of the coroner and toxicology reports.
But what Pepper does know is that right now is the time to look alive when behind the wheel.
“So with this coming Memorial Day Weekend, it starts what’s called the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer and the research shows us that this is often a time when a lot of lives are lost on the roads,” Pepper said.
She explains why that is and what the research shows about young drivers.
“This is the time when a lot of new drivers are getting their license for the first time. School’s out. They are out driving with their friends, maybe driving longer distances,” Pepper said.
Pepper says alcohol, drugs and driving too fast play a big part in road crashes during the 100 deadliest days of summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
That’s why she suggests parents talk to their young drivers about taking these simple safety measures.
“So for example, you can say you know in this family we don’t text and drive, in this family, we don’t speed, in this family, we don’t drive impaired,” Pepper says that advice is particularly important, and potentially lifesaving, starting Memorial Day Weekend.
“If people are going out celebrating graduations this weekend, it’s the perfect time to have a conversation with your young drivers about if you find yourself in a situation where it’s not safe to drive, just give me a call,” Pepper said.
Impaired driving is the leading cause of crashes, injuries and deaths in Nevada.
One-third of all traffic fatalities in Nevada are speed-related.
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