No fatal car accidents over the holiday weekend!
Amazing, especially considering how bloody a year it’s been so far on Valley roadways.
With the year nearly half over, Metro has recorded 104 fatalities inside its jurisdiction, 10 more than the 97 recorded by this time last year.
Maybe it’s just a matter of numbers—a growing population equals a growing number of accidents, no matter what Metro does. Sgt. Tracy McDonald of Metro’s Fatal, Hit and Run and DUI detail says that’s basically it, that the rising numbers are due to the Valley’s growth and, of course, ever-more distracted, speeding and impaired drivers.
And that makes Metro’s task of hammering home the same old message—drive safer!—one of frustrating repetition, and they’re doing so with increased patrol officers to match increased numbers of drivers.
“But based on our stats, people are still taking risks and chances out there going to work or school,” McDonald says, “and it’s costing lives.”
Metro has partnered with the Nevada Highway Patrol in addition to adding more patrol cops, and hopes that the fatality-less holiday weekend marks a change in the year’s deadly trend.
A reason to be hopeful: While we’re in worse shape than last year, we’re still below 2005’s record amount of 184 traffic deaths.
McDonald cautions, though, that with the change of seasons to fall, statistically more deadly mayhem comes to the roads. Again, it’s in the numbers.
“You’ve got better weather, the roads are busier, and kids are back in school,” McDonald says. “We’re kept pretty busy, there’s no question about that.”