Police say along with fender benders, deadly crashes are on the rise because warmer weather means more traffic on the roadways.
Nevada State Police says they've seen nine fatal crashes statewide leading to 13 deaths just since last week.
The Reno Police Department says the City of Reno has seen four fatal crashes resulting in four deaths since memorial day weekend. Last year they reported about 20 deaths for the year.
Police officers and state troopers are now reminding people to be cautious while driving.
"Drive defensively, remember the rules of the road, give yourself the extra time and space to plan your routes, plan your trips, don't drive on autopilot, definitely don't drive impaired, keep in mind other traffic may not see you especially if you're a motorcycle," says Sergeant Kevin Johnson, for the Multi Discipline Inner Agency Reconstruction Team out of Reno, Nevada for the Nevada State Police.
If you're driving at night, they also say to make sure your headlights and windshields are clean, and at night, following distances between vehicles should be doubled.
"Drive safe, lives are on the line out there every single day. Wear your seatbelts, don't talk on your cell phones, don't drive distracted, don't speed, don't drink and drive, don't use drugs and drive. Make good decisions," said Sergeant Kevin Johnson.
Officers say they try and enforce speed limits because the main reason people get into crashes is speeding. They also advise to always drive the speed limit and give yourself extra time to get to your destination safely.
"Always double check your blind spots. It's hard to see a motorcycle in your blind spots. And always drive 15 seconds ahead of you, so instead of just driving at the end of your hood, make sure you're looking at least 15 seconds out so you see anything that's coming in front of you and you can react to that," said Officer Mario Reza, from Reno Police Traffic and Motorcycle division.
And if you're on a motorcycle, officers say it's a big responsibility to operate such a heavy machine, so you need to stay aware of other drivers and slow down.
"Always ride within your abilities. I ride a motorcycle on my day-to-day duties at work, and I always ride within 75% of my ability. So, I never ride at 100% because it's too dangerous,"Â Officer Reza explains.
You can also call *NHP if you see any trouble on the roadways.
If you'd like more information on safety, we also have a link to the Zero Fatalities NV by clicking here.
