NHP: 70 died in 2019 crashes on Southern Nevada highways

The Nevada Highway Patrol said that 70 people died in fatal crashes last year in its Southern Command jurisdiction.

The number of deaths in the area patrolled by the Southern Command was down slightly from the previous year, when 77 people perished, according to the NHP.

But the agency said in a statement that this is “no time for celebration.”

“One life lost on our roadways is too many and as we all know by now, almost every single traffic fatality is preventable,” the statement said,

The Highway Patrol said causes of fatal crashes continue to be evenly distributed among speed, impairment and failing to wear seatbelts.

“Our community needs to continue to always buckle up, drive sober, drive the speed limit and put the phones down while driving,” the Highway Patrol said.

“The Nevada Highway Patrol is committed to the goal of zero fatalities, and our troopers work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our motoring public,” the NHP said in a recent statement. “In 2019 our troopers made 89,770 traffic stops in Southern Command alone.”

Las Vegas police, meanwhile, reported at least 114 traffic fatalities in 2019.