Las Vegas Car Accident Statistics

Las Vegas car accidents and car accident statistics follow an unusual pattern. The city has major problems with drunk driving accidents. However, unlike many other cities, most of Las Vegas’s car accidents happen at night. And Las Vegas has more pedestrian accidents than many comparable cities.

Las Vegas car accident statistics provide some strategies for avoiding the riskiest areas of the city. Contact one of our Las Vegas car accident lawyers at Battle Born Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation. Call us today at (702) 570-9000, one of our Las Vegas injury attorneys is waiting to talk to you.

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Overview of Las Vegas Car Accident Statistics

Las Vegas car accident statistics are not easy to find, at least in terms of overall incidents. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) only releases fatal crash data for the state’s counties and cities.

However, there is a thorough crash dashboard that provides detailed statistics on fatal accidents, including data from a recent span of five years. The latest year from which Nevada has car accident numbers available is 2020.

How Common Are Las Vegas Car Accidents Overall?

Nevada had 43,683 traffic accidents in 2020. The state does not break down these numbers by county or city. But historically, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) reports about 43% of the accidents in the state. In 2020, about 18,800 traffic accidents happened within LVMPD’s jurisdiction.

Bear in mind that the Las Vegas Valley has some peculiar geography. The City of Las Vegas only covers the area north of Sahara Avenue to North Las Vegas. Unincorporated Clark County runs south of Sahara Avenue to Henderson.

LVMPD’s jurisdiction covers the city of Las Vegas and the unincorporated areas of Clark County that fall outside of North Las Vegas and Henderson. The 18,800 traffic accidents in LVMPD’s jurisdiction cover an area that includes downtown Las Vegas and The Strip.

Las Vegas, plus unincorporated Clark County, has about 1.69 million residents. The accident rate for these areas is 1,114 traffic accidents per 100,000 residents.

This is much lower than the Nevada accident rate of 1,376 traffic accidents per 100,000 residents and the national average accident rate of 1,800 traffic accidents per 100,000 residents.

Las Vegas Fatal Car Accident Statistics

Zero Fatalities Nevada is an initiative put in place by the NDOT and the Nevada Department of Public Safety (NDPS). This initiative provides some statistics and insight into fatal car accidents in the state and works in conjunction with the crash dashboard discussed above.

The dashboard indicates the following numbers of fatal auto accidents in Las Vegas:

2020: 31
2019: 33
2018: 57
2017: 45

Fortunately, the data appears to be trending in a positive direction, though the sample size is quite small.

How Do Las Vegas Car Accidents Happen?

According to NDOT, Las Vegas car accidents happen due to some fairly common driver behaviors, including:

Failure to yield right of way
Following too closely
Failure to keep in a lane
Running off the road
Hit-and-run

These driver behaviors cause nearly 65% of accidents in Las Vegas. The causes of these behaviors include:

Intoxicated Driving Car Crashes in Las Vegas, NV

In most places, speeding and distracted driving cause the most traffic deaths. But according to NDOT’s crash dashboard, nearly 43% of traffic deaths in Las Vegas result from intoxicated driving, and 55% happen at night. Impaired driving is a serious issue in Nevada, as the data reflects. The numbers of fatal intoxicated driving car accidents are as follows:

2020: 12
2019: 13
2018: 16
2017: 19

This is the highest proportion of fatal crashes out of any category listed by NDOT.

Vegas Car Accidents Caused by Speeding

Anyone who drives around the valley knows that Las Vegas drivers drive fast. But according to NDOT’s crash dashboard, this addiction to speed puts drivers at risk of accidents. On average, slightly over 32% of traffic fatalities in Las Vegas result from crashes caused by speeding. The data indicate these numbers of fatal wrecks related to speeding:

2020: 11
2019: 10
2018: 12
2017: 20

This is the second-highest cause of fatal accidents in the State of Nevada and in Las Vegas as well.

Distracted Driving Statistics for Las Vegas Automobile Accidents

One area where Las Vegas residents have performed better than people in other locations is distracted driving. According to NDOT’s crash dashboard, distracted drivers only cause 3.1% of Las Vegas fatal accidents. In most other jurisdictions, distracted driving is a top cause of accidents. The data indicate that there was only one fatal crash in 2019, 2018, and 2017 caused by distracted driving in Las Vegas.

Other Car Accident Claims We Cover in Las Vegas, NV

What Types of Injuries Usually Happen in a Non-Fatal Las Vegas Car Accident?

Las Vegas has a good overall record for traffic injuries and deaths. The traffic fatality rate in the U.S. is 11.78 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents. Nevada has a slightly better rate at 10.10 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents. Las Vegas’s fatality rate is even lower at 8.07 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents.

This still means that in an average year, about 1,100 Nevada residents suffer a serious injury in a traffic accident. Under the state’s definitions, a serious injury means the victim could not drive after the accident and required transport to the hospital.

These serious injuries include:

Brain injuries
Paralysis
Broken bones
Burns
Severe lacerations

These injuries can require expensive treatments and affect the victim’s ability to work.

How Battle Born Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Las Vegas

Battle Born Injury Lawyers was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to helping accident victims get a fair outcome in their injury cases. The Las Vegas car accident lawyers at Battle Born Injury Lawyers have earned many awards and recognitions, including:

Martindale-Hubbell’s AV preeminent rating
Top 150 Lawyers in southern Nevada by Nevada Business Journal
SuperLawyers Rising Star and Mountain States SuperLawyer
10.0 superb rating from Avvo
2014 Avvo Client Choice Award for personal injury practice

Our personal injury law firm can help with your case by:

Advising you on your legal options at all times as your case progresses
Thoroughly investigating your case to uncover evidence and determine your damages
Handling all of the negotiation and communication with the other side
Bringing your case before a Clark County jury and judge at trial if necessary
Protecting you from unfounded allegations that the accident was your fault

To discuss your car accident case in Las Vegas with an experienced personal injury attorney, contact Battle Born Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyers

The statistics don’t lie. Car accidents in Las Vegas are all too common. If you were in a car crash, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other damages. Contact Battle Born Injury Lawyers for a free consultation and to begin forming an attorney-client relationship.