Nevada road fatalities decrease through first eight months of 2019

Fatalities on Nevada roads and highways in the first eight months of the year have decreased compared to 2018.

The state had 226 fatalities in the first eight months of last year and 172 fatalities so far in 2019, a 22 percent reduction.

Only two of those months — January and April — saw an increase compared to the same month of last year.

There were also fewer crashes in 2019 than the year before — 168 to 202.

Of those fatalities, 114 were in Clark County but that is still significantly fewer than the 161 deaths in Clark reported through the first eight months of last year. Clark is also where 36 of the 46 pedestrian deaths were recorded. Washoe County had eight pedestrian deaths. Other than that, only Elko and Lyon counties have had a pedestrian fatality this year.

Total fatalities in Washoe, however, dropped by three to 24 through that eight-month period.

Carson City had just one fatality through August, the same as a year ago, while Churchill County reports two deaths, half of last year’s number through the first eight months of 2018.

Several small counties reported increases in fatalities through August. The biggest jumps were in Douglas County where five have died thus far compared to just one a year ago and Eureka where three have died versus none in 2018.

There have been 33 motorcyclists killed so far this year, just one fewer than last year, and five bicyclists — four in Clark and one in Washoe County.

Lyon County has had six roadway deaths this year but that’s half the 11 that county had suffered at this point in 2018. One of those fatalities was a motorcyclist and one a pedestrian.

Finally, there have been two “other” vehicle fatalities so far. Other includes ATVs, mopeds and scooters.