Nevada’s population has been increasing rapidly for many years. Along with
the population increase comes an increase in vehicles and a subsequent
increase in traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities.
In 2005, over 43,000 people lost their lives on our nation’s roads and highways. This equates to nearly 117 deaths every day, and has resulted in motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of death for persons aged 3 to 33. In fact, it is estimated that the economic cost of vehicle crashes in the United States in 2000 was over $230 billion. In Nevada, there were 427 traffic deaths in 2005, a steady increase from the 314 statewide deaths in 2001.
The Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol are dedicated to making our highways safer and more efficient, and to do all possible to reduce the number of highway incidents which cost too many lives and consumer dollars each year. To this end, NDOT and NHP have joined forces to inform the traveling public about traffic laws in Nevada and offer ways in which everyone can drive more safely.
Contributors to this series include Fred Droes (Nevada Department of Transportation chief traffic safety engineer), Colonel Chris Perry (Nevada Highway Patrol chief), Chuck Abbott (chief of the Office of Traffic Safety), and Brian Hutchins, a consultant attorney and former Nevada chief deputy attorney general.
To find more information regarding Nevada’s traffic laws, state statutes are the first place to look. Nevada traffic laws are found in chapter 484 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), on the Nevada Legislature's web site. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a wealth of information pertaining to the standards used nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets and highways.
