Reno, Nevada Police reported that a woman involved in car accident with a truck sustained minor injuries following a crash that occurred on South McCarran and Greensboro Drive Sunday, February 3, 2019. It appears that just before 8:00 p.m the driver of a Toyota truck crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting another vehicle head-on. The woman in the car that was hit was transported to a nearby hospital. The driver of the truck remained on the scene and alcohol or other drugs did not appear to be factors in this collision, police stated.
Nevada traffic accidents, in a worrisome trend, have been on the rise in recent years. Data from 2018 reveals that despite intensified efforts by law enforcement to increase adherence to traffic laws as well as an aggressive public campaign to raise awareness of safe driving practices, the 331 people killed throughout Nevada last year was the highest number in a decade, according to the state’s Department of Public Safety. According to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, during the first nine months of 2018, 260 people were killed in traffic accidents compared to 234 during the first nine months of 2017, indicating the trend is not improving.
While this recent accident does not appear to have been a case involving the abuse of alcohol or drugs, law enforcement officers state that drunk and drugged driving are largely to blame for the rise of accidents in Nevada in recent years, according to George T. Bochanis Law Offices.
According to data, as many as one-third of the fatal accidents that occurred in 2017 were caused by drivers who were impaired. The Nevada Highway Patrol and Metro recently implemented a DUI strike team of officers who patrol problem areas trying to catch suspected impaired drivers, and in less than just two months, the team had already arrested more than 150 suspects.
To deal with this issue, Nevada enacted a new law that was effective as of Oct. 1, 2018 mandating that all people who are convicted of driving under the influence, including first-time offenders, have ignition interlock devices installed in their vehicles.
The other fatal traffic accidents that occur in the state largely result from reckless driving, including running red lights, speeding, and failing to wear seatbelts. While Nevada traffic fatalities have continued to occur despite safety advances in vehicles, the state government is continuing to work closely with manufacturers to ensure that vehicles on the road are safe, to promote automation and safety advances, and to prevent dangerous driving behaviors all in the quest to save more lives.
