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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — I moved to Las Vegas in 2012 and I was stunned by news stories of local people getting hit by drivers while waiting at bus stops.
But what surprised even more was that Las Vegas people and their elected officials casually took these bizarre crashes in stride as if it was business as usual.
Well, it’s taken kids getting killed walking to school or biking home from school this year to finally get Las Vegas locals to say, “Enough is enough.” This after a truck driver on meth killed five bicyclists south of Boulder City on U.S. 95 in Dec. 2020.
This was the backdrop for this week’s three-day Nevada Traffic Safety Summit where Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson once again called for beefed-up prison time for impaired motorists who kill people in crashes. Wolfson, who sat on a panel with three state lawmakers, said he had to tell the mother of a 12-year-old boy killed by an impaired motorist while the child walked to school that the driver would realistically face six to seven years in prison as a potential sentence.
“You should have seen her face,” Wolfson told road safety summit attendees at South Point hotel-casino. “She said, ‘The man who murdered my son will be out in six or seven years.’ ”
Wolfson, seeking a fourth term as the county DA in 2026, said he’s “hearing his constituents are saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ ”
(Disclosure: LVSportsBiz.com publisher Alan Snel was struck by a distracted motorist while bicycling in Fort Pierce, Florida March 7, 2017 and was nearly killed. He survived and returned to Las Vegas to start LVSportsBiz.com in June 2017. It’s why we report on this vital topic.)
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Before Wolfson spoke on the panel talk, several road safety leaders were recognized for their work on trying to stop crashes in Las Vegas and Clark County, which absorbed the news of a nine-year-boy dying Thursday from a crash on an e-scooter when struck by a driver.
LVSportsBiz.com applauds the work of Michael Campbell, lieutenant with the Clark County School District’s Traffic Division, and Andrew Bennett, Clark County’s traffic safety director. Both were among the folks recognized for their traffic safety work.
The road crash violence and lives lost in Southern Nevada are caused by a combination of problems — speeding and impaired drivers; elected officials not funding enough police enforcement; motorists who are poorly educated about operating motorized vehicles; roads designed to maximize car speed and prioritizing convenience over safety of walkers and bicyclists; and lack of deterrents and penalties for drivers causing crashes.
Sadly, elected officials talk and don’t do.
That was on display during the panel discussion with Wolfson and three state legislators — Assembly member Howard Watts from District 15; Senate member Rochelle Nguyen from District 3; and Senate member Marilyn Dondero Loop from District 8.
Wolfson supported red light and speed cameras, but none of the three lawmakers voiced support for the cameras.
Nguyen said the state can look at lowering speed limits, Loop said people should just “keep talking” about road safety issues and Watts mentioned the idea of building light rail and “continuing to have the discussion” on traffic safety.
That’s politicians for you — looking, talking and discussing.
Wolfson wanted action — now.
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LVSportsBiz.com published a story earlier this month recommending F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix launch a road safety campaign, focusing on a message of “Leave The Speed To Us.” The F1 race in Las Vegas is Nov. 20-22. It’s an idea LVSportsBiz.com bounced off F1.
The race organizer has started installing the 3.8-mile track, which includes a stretch of the Strip and surrounding streets.
The F1 race is now in its third year.
LVSportsBiz.com supports the Las Vegas Grand Prix leading a road safety campaign because the event literally is staged on local roads.
Don’t be surprised if F1 gets involved in that issue and makes it a community focus in 2026.
LVSportsBiz.com broke news two months when we reported a story on an NFL Las Vegas Raiders PSA urging people to slow down and driver safer. The PSA included Raiders head coach Pete Carroll.
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PSAs are nice. So are slogans, T-shirts, billboards with traffic safety messages.
They will have a small impact.
But the road deaths and the school kids getting hit by drivers will continue.
That’s because the Las Vegas road safety crisis is a systematic problem built on poor road design, poorly educated drivers and under-enforced road violations that are commonplace like red light running.
And the punishments and consequences of deadly driving and road behavior that maims and injures so many don’t fit the crime. DA Wolfson pointed that out. LVSportsBiz.com didn’t have to make that point.
LVSportsBiz.com has these recommendations to improve road safety in the Las Vegas area:
^ Lower speed limits
^ Stop building roads to maximize car speed and build paved trails and protected bicycle lanes
^ Increase police enforcement to crack down on red light running and illegal turns
^ Mandatory road safety classes for all students on safe driving, walking and bicycling
^ More prison time for drivers who kill people and much steeper penalties for drunk driving and DUIs
LVSportsBiz.com believes the road deaths and crashes will continue at this alarming rate if local leaders don’t make drastic changes to road safety education, road design and police enforcement.
It’s time for our elected leaders to grow a backbone and make necessary decisions and policies.
If not, the nightly news will continue to air these grim road violence stories.
PSA
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Buy this book!