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Common Causes Of Car Accidents In Las Vegas

Don't let Las Vegas's roads and highways get the best of you by understanding the common causes of car accidents in the area.

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Written By: Rodney Okano

Licensed Attorney in Nevada (Bar #7852)

Attorney Rodney Okano is a McGeorge School of Law graduate and a member of the Nevada bar since October 5th, 2001. Since becoming a licensed lawyer in Nevada over 20 years ago, he has helped thousands of clients in their legal matters.

5 min read time

Knowing the Flow of Las Vegas Traffic

Las Vegas traffic moves like a living organism, its rhythm shifting with every bachelorette party, morning rush, and new road construction we Las Vegas locals can't seem to get enough of.

In my years representing injured drivers at the Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm, I've seen how unpredictable traffic flows put ordinary drives into serious accidents. Understanding these patterns helps drivers anticipate danger, mitigate injury risks, and pursue fair compensation in case they are involved in a car accident.

High-Volume Roads and Rush-Hour Patterns

The main highways, such as I-15, I-515, and the Strip, experience heavy traffic during weekday mornings and evenings, especially between 7 A.M. and 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. to 7 P.M., creating busy intersections that raise traffic safety concerns and prompt stricter enforcement of traffic laws

Local streets often get crowded during morning and evening hours with parents dropping their kids off at school in the morning or coming home from work in the evening. However, local traffic patterns can be a little more forgiving than the city streets and highways.

Common Reasons for Auto Accidents in Las Vegas

arafed silver truck with a front bumper and a front bumper

As a Las Vegas car accident lawyer, I see motor vehicle crashes caused by distracted driving, drowsy driving, reckless driving, and intoxicated driving; these habits and negligent behaviours lead to serious injuries, property damage, and costly medical bills, and each requires help from attorneys to handle the legal claim and secure a fair settlement.

Excessive Speed and Speed-Related Lapses

Excessive speed shortens reaction time, causing drivers to miss sudden obstacles or brake incorrectly, which raises the likelihood of serious car accidents and can lead to severe injuries. Speed lapses, including speeding in curves or through intersections, expose drivers to unpredictable hazards and increase car accident risk.

Maintaining safe speeds is therefore essential for reducing traffic citations and motor vehicle accidents.

Distracted Driving

When bright screens and loud sounds fill the road, drivers often glance away, weakening their motor skills and leading to driver error. Also, their focus slips, causing them to miss traffic signals or other cars, and increasing the likelihood of a car accident. Another distraction comes from quick social media buzzes or looking at the phone during drives, which creates momentary breaks in attention that greatly increase the chances of a car accident.

These entertainment distractions ultimately lead to numerous personal injury claims that our attorneys handle on a daily basis.

Alcohol and Recreational Drug Impairment

Drunk driving and drowsy driving, often caused by recreational drugs, reduce reaction time, impair judgment, and lower coordination, causing intoxicated drivers to lose control. These drivers misjudge distances or fail to notice traffic signals, making car crashes more likely, especially on busy roads where quick decisions are essential.

Impaired driving crashes often result in severe injuries and damages and, in serious cases, fatal accidents, forcing victims to handle legal matters with help from a car accident lawyer to secure fair compensation and maximize financial recovery for their damages.

Fatigue from Late-Night Rides

Late-night rides drain riders' energy, so they become slow to react, heightening the risk of car accidents. Sleepiness also makes them overlook warning signs, traffic signals, and pedestrians.

Fatigued driving is often compared to impaired driving due to the similar effects and damage they have.

Ignoring Traffic Signals and Stop Signs

In Las Vegas, drivers who ignore traffic signals or stop signs create dangerous situations that can lead to car accidents. These reckless drivers often ignore traffic control devices for selfish reasons, such as being in a rush or trying to look cool, and fail to think of the potentially catastrophic injuries they can cause.

Those injured by such reckless driving can file a personal injury claim and seek help from our Las Vegas car accident attorneys in maximizing their compensation.

Close-Proximity Following and Sudden Stops

When drivers follow too closely, they have little time to react if the front car stops abruptly, a circumstance that results in multiple Nevada car accidents daily.

Maintaining a safe gap helps mitigate car crash risk and strengthen your car accident claim in the event that you are involved in an accident.

Aggressive Lane Changes and Overtaking

A reckless or negligent driver will often perform dangerous lane changes and overtakes in which they cut through cars at high speed without the use of a turn signal.

These drivers are often high on adrenaline and overstate their driving ability, which often leads to car accidents.

Environmental Factors That Increase Car Accident Risk in Las Vegas

From my years handling vehicle injury claims, I've seen how the desert environment of Las Vegas can silently increase the risk an car accident for many drivers.

Heat-related road slickness, sudden sandstorms, brutal glare from sun-bleached surfaces, and flood-level rains are a serious risk. Even simple visibility issues from misty humidity or dim street lighting at night push drivers closer to a car crash than they might know.

Knowing and identifying these environmental factors is safe driving 101.

Weather-Related Asphalt Slippage

Poor weather conditions, such as rain, snow, or a sudden thaw, can make asphalt slick, raising the likelihood of Las Vegas car accidents. When water accumulates on the road, it reduces tire traction and can cause vehicles, especially truck drivers due to their large vehicles and teen drivers who are unused to such environments, to slide or spin.

Low-light Visibility

On Las Vegas roads, low-light visibility greatly raises the risk of a car accident. The sun's glare at dusk or dawn masks road markings, signs, and other objects, making drivers misjudge distances and other vehicles.

Also, the bright sun that often hits Las Vegas can blind drivers, making them unable to see brake lights and traffic signals.

Pothole and Surface Wear Issues

Heavy rain and rapid temperature changes weaken pavement, forming potholes and cracks that expand over time. When vehicles drive over these uneven surfaces, wheels lose traction, which can cause accidents, especially during wet conditions, which are common across Nevada during the cold months.

Also, constant traffic wears roads down over time, leading to poor road conditions, potentially leading to the company responsible for maintenance being held accountable for any car accidents resulting from adverse roads.

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Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer is a Las Vegas personal injury law firm with over 20 years of experience helping clients obtain maximum compensation following injuries from accidents such as car crashes, worksite injuries, and slips and falls. Over those years, The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm has become an experienced law firm that can ensure exceptional results for any of its clients.