Las Vegas sees 20% spike in traffic deaths during Nevada's '100 Deadliest Days'

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the "100 Deadliest Days" on Nevada roadways due to the uptick in traffic fatalities seen during this time of the year.

With Labor Day now over, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told us on Tuesday the number of traffic-related fatalities came to 36 lives lost for this period — a 20% increase from last year's 30 fatalities during the 100 Deadliest Days.

Last year, LVMPD said we hit 100 traffic deaths in late August. We reached the same number this year, only that it was at the beginning of August instead.

Speeding and impaired driving continue to be the top factors leading to deaths on our roadways, according to the Nevada Department of Public Safety. Zero Fatalities, the state's road safety initiative, reports most of these deaths occurring at intersections and involving pedestrians.

Safety concerns at intersections have been a major focus of Channel 13, especially near schools. Last school year's end was tragically marked by the death of McKenzie Scott, 18, a senior at Arbor View High School who was struck and killed by a suspected impaired driver while walking in a crosswalk near campus. Days later, another DUI investigation occurred with the death of Joree Odabi, a 23-year-old pedestrian who was struck and killed in the southwest valley.

Both Scott and Odabi's deaths are just two of the tragic reports we've told you about this year. So, what's being done to prevent more stories like Scott and Odabi's?

Road safety improvements near Arbor View, including pedestrian flashers and added signage, were unveiled ahead of the school year by local officials. The City of Las Vegas has also approved the expansion of more crossing guards to all middle schools and three high schools this year, and several new traffic signals have popped up around the valley.

WATCH | More than a dozen new traffic signals in southwest Las Vegas

On Tuesday, the LVMPD Traffic Bureau unveiled a new safety plan targeting 12 dangerous intersections that will now see increased enforcement:

• Charleston Blvd & Decatur Blvd
• Flamingo Rd & Rainbow Rd
• Charleston Blvd & Hualapai Way
• Blue Diamond Rd & Arville St
• Tropicana Ave & Decatur Blvd
• Flamingo Rd & Arville St
• Boulder Hwy between Sahara Ave & Karen Ave
• Flamingo Rd & Pecos Rd
• Flamingo Rd & Maryland Pkwy
• Las Vegas Blvd & Cheyenne Ave
• Washington Ave & Nellis Blvd
• Las Vegas Blvd & Cashman Ctr

A massive joint-agency "DUI Super Blitz" just wrapped up after the holiday weekend, which saw 955 traffic stops, 631 citations, 42 DUI arrests and eight other arrests. These crackdowns typically take place each Labor Day weekend and around periods of heightened traffic activity.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

Changes are not just being sought on the roadways, either. Efforts to increase penalties for impaired driving are rising. Such is the case with the Odabi family, who founded a nonprofit seeking justice for DUI victims and by calling on lawmakers to address prison and bail reform after a "discrepancy" led to the suspect in Joree's death receiving a $5,000 bail. This has since been amended to $50,000.

Calls to address speeding — the other major factor leading to traffic deaths — are felt all over the valley. Last month, we told you about locals calling on city officials to fix a dangerous crosswalk in east Las Vegas. We also told you about two programs aiming to teach young drivers road safety: one on defensive driving and the other on the dangers of reckless driving.

There's no shortage of initiatives and ways to stay safe on the road, the simplest of them being to follow the speed limit and don't drive under the influence.

For more information on road safety initiatives, visit www.zerofatalitiesnv.com.