Las Vegas is a city with heavy foot traffic, and with so many pedestrians, it makes sense that the city has a jaywalking problem. If you live in Las Vegas or have visited, you likely jaywalked at least once. It doesn’t seem like a major issue. Everyone does it, so how dangerous could it be? But in some cases, jaywalking is actually a violation of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
According to NRS 484B.287,
1.Every pedestrian crossing a highway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the highway.
It is also against the law to cross a street if a pedestrian tunnel or bridge is available or to cross the street diagonally unless traffic control devices indicate it. Jaywalking violations are similar to getting a traffic ticket, and are usually around $200.
Jaywalking can result in more than a dent in your wallet. It can mean a serious collision with a motor vehicle. A recent report in the Las Vegas Sun indicated that the city of Las Vegas is now deadlier for pedestrians than Manhattan. On average, there is one death every six days in the Vegas metro area.
Pedestrians are injured and killed in Vegas even when they’re using crosswalks properly. Knowing this, pedestrians should be even more wary of jaywalking. The Nevada Strategic Highway Safety Plan released an infographic to explain just how serious the pedestrian accident problem is in our state.
According to their data:
- Between 2008-2012, 234 pedestrians were killed and 784 were seriously injured
- 44% of pedestrian fatalities occur on the road, not in a crosswalk
- These type of accidents happen all days of the week, but it is most common for them to take place on Fridays and Saturdays
- 31% of all pedestrian fatalities are the result of improper crossing
While some pedestrians are involved in accidents through illegal street crossing, many more are injured and killed by negligent drivers. If this happened to you or someone you love, please don’t hesitate to call us and schedule a free evaluation of your case.
