Las Vegas Cyclist Deaths Jump: Police Step Up Driver Awareness as Deaths Mount

During the last twelve months, traffic fatalities in Las Vegas increased by 60%, prompting law enforcement to respond and improve safety for cyclists. Police agencies across Southern Nevada are enhancing efforts to improve driver awareness in an effort to reduce road incidents involving cyclists, as the number of fatalities continues to increase.

In the state of Nevada, 15 cyclists were killed in crashes in 2024, 11 of them were in Clark County. As of September 2025, there have already been seven fatalities in Metro's jurisdiction, marking a 50% increase compared to the same period last year. Nevada is now ranked as the ninth most dangerous state for cyclists, with Clark County showing a troubling rise in fatalities over the past two years.

The Regional Transportation Commission has identified five bus routes with the highest bicycle traffic: Tropicana, Flamingo, Sahara, Charleston, and Eastern. Many of the recent crashes involve commuting cyclists who use bikes to reach bus stops for public transportation, highlighting the everyday risks for riders who depend on their bikes.

Cyclists like Jasmine, a food delivery rider, frequently encounter hazardous situations on the road. "They don't really like to share the road," Jasmine said. "People are not looking to the left or right, and then the left again, so I have gotten bumped in the back before."

Law enforcement is emphasizing the importance of traffic law compliance among drivers, including the requirement to move to the left lane when passing cyclists and to maintain a minimum three-foot distance. Officers will be actively monitoring high-traffic areas and issuing tickets to people who violate the rules. "There will be a police officer on a bike...when he sees someone that could have moved over and didn't, or someone who did not give him 3 feet, and you'll get a ticket," Erin Breen, director of the Road Equity Alliance Project at UNLV, said.

Officials stress the need for increased vigilance among drivers to protect cyclists while infrastructure improvements are developed. "Until we can build the infrastructure to support those people traveling outside of cars, we need drivers to pay 100% attention," Breen said.