LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Drivers are traveling at dangerous speeds through a construction zone on the 215 Beltway around Stephanie Street, with some vehicles clocked over 30 mph over the posted speed limit, a FOX5 investigation found.
The work zone, which extends from Stephanie Street to the Pecos and St. Rose area, has a reduced speed limit of 55 mph while crews widen the roadway. However, radar measurements showed multiple vehicles traveling from the low 60’s to 86 mph through the area where construction workers are present. There are signs in the construction zone that display the speeds of motorists, which showed one driver going 86 mph.
FOX5 reporter Joe Vigil used a radar gun to measure vehicle speeds after noticing the pattern during several trips through the area.
“I just notice every time I go through there, I think that I’m the slowest,” Vigil said, explaining what prompted the investigation.
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Workers express safety concerns
Construction workers in the zone expressed frustration about the speeding drivers, saying many motorists appear to forget about their presence.
“People forget about us basically, they don’t consider us,” one construction worker told Vigil after being shown the speed readings. “I know people have places to go, but so do we; we have our families to go home to at the end of the day.”
The worker noted that despite concrete barriers, vehicles traveling at 80-plus mph pose significant dangers to crews working just five to seven feet from traffic.
Speed limit enforcement carries hefty penalties
Violations in the construction zone can result in substantial fines. Henderson Court officials said tickets range from $250 to $525. Additional citations for endangering life, limb or property can run up to $890. Nevada law allows fines up to $1,000 for speeding violations.
Traffic expert explains speed limit rationale
After the initial story generated more than 700 Facebook comments, many defending high speeds as necessary to “follow the flow of traffic,” Vigil consulted UNLV traffic safety researcher Erin Breen.
“The speed limits are there for a reason,” said Erin Breen, who has worked at UNLV for nearly 30 years.
Breen explained that construction zones require reduced speeds because of lane changes, barriers, and unfamiliar traffic patterns that drivers may not anticipate at higher speeds.
Time and distance factors critical for safety
Vigil said Breen cited “time and distance” as key factors officials consider when setting speed limits — the time drivers have to react and the distance available to respond to hazards.
“Obviously, the faster you’re going, the less time you have and the less distance you have to react to it,” Vigil said. “If you’re going 55, you know, you might see something quicker. You might have more time, your reaction time to slow down or avoid, or do whatever you have to do.”
Cultural driving patterns contribute to problem
Breen told Vigil people in Las Vegas have gotten used to a “culture” of getting somewhere fast and expressed disappointment that many online commenters blamed speed limits rather than speeding drivers.
She said potential solutions include increased enforcement and speed cameras, though cameras face implementation challenges.
Speed remains top factor in traffic deaths
According to Breen, speed is the top contributing factor in approximately one-third of Nevada’s traffic fatalities and remains a factor in many other deaths and injuries.
Metro Police recently identified speeding as one of the most common citations issued and highlighted it as a major concern at high-crash intersections throughout the valley.
The construction zone investigation highlighted broader traffic safety concerns in Las Vegas, where high accident rates have contributed to elevated insurance costs for drivers.
Another complaint from drivers on social media is reduced speeds when construction crews aren’t working, such as overnight. Breen said it takes a while to set up a construction zone, including barriers to protect workers and lane closures. She said it would take time to set up and tear down a construction zone each day. In fact, she said, setting up and tearing down each day could delay the entire project.
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