Improving the safety of Nevada’s highways is the top priority of the Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol has established the goal to reduce the Nevada large truck and bus related fatalities rate to 0.16 fatalities per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by 2011, as averaged over the three preceding years. This equates to a 24 percent reduction from the base period of 2003-2005 average fatality rate of 0.21. This represents an estimated average of 7 lives saved each year in the State of Nevada.
To assist in achieving this goal, the DPS, Highway Patrol participates in the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). This is a Federal grant program that provides financial assistance to States to reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles (CMV). The goal of the MCSAP is to reduce CMV-involved crashes, fatalities, and injuries through consistent, uniform, and effective CMV safety programs. Investing grant monies in appropriate safety programs increases the likelihood that safety defects, driver deficiencies, and unsafe motor carrier practices are detected and corrected before they become contributing factors to crashes. The MCSAP also sets forth the conditions for participation by States and local jurisdictions and promotes the adoption and uniform enforcement of safety rules, regulations, and standards compatible with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR’s) and Federal Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR’s)for both interstate and intrastate motor carriers and drivers.