LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Nevada Zero Fatalities Program has announced its 2026 "Drive Like a Nevadan" campaign to reduce traffic-related fatalities across the state — but some local drivers say the name itself misses the mark.
The campaign launch follows a deadly Labor Day weekend that saw 4 fatal crashes across Southern Nevada, bringing the statewide total to nearly 200 deadly crashes this year.
WATCH | Safety campaign launched after deadly Labor Day weekend
I asked local drivers what "driving like a Nevadan" means to them.
"When you hear drive like a Nevadan, what does that mean to you?" I asked.
"Um, it means bad driving," one driver said.
Another driver described the pressure to speed on local roads.
"You can't go the actual speed limit because they will cut you off and you get the finger thrown at you," the driver said.
A third driver said the problem is unlike anything they have seen elsewhere.
"I've been to probably nine different states and I've never experienced it, uh, nowhere else but here, and every single day there's an accident," the driver said.
That same driver pointed to a specific and common behavior on local roads.
"People here purposely run red lights," the driver said.
Others described the culture of speed as deeply ingrained.
"It's pretty bad. Like, I feel like we're, we're going... super fast when you say that you gotta go fast," one driver said.
Not everyone was comfortable with the campaign's branding.
"I don't think it's a very good thing to be classifying someone as a Nevadan, or even less so a Las Vegas driver," a driver said.
The 2026 Drive Like a Nevadan campaign focuses on five key roadway safety behaviors:
- Anti-impaired driving
- Seat belt use
- Sharing the road
- Speed management
- Distracted driving
Law enforcement agencies are stepping up patrols and reminding drivers to yield at crosswalks. The safety campaign will run through the fall as the state works toward achieving zero fatalities.
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