August 24, 2026 - 6:01 am

If you’ve driven any area freeway or road, this will not shock you: Nevadans think speeding is normal.

One-third of Nevada drivers surveyed by the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety said they travel above posted speed limits because they think no one else follows them. That thought process is creating a statewide culture of speeding, according to the foundation.

The survey found that most drivers think traveling 10 mph over the speed limit is routine behavior behind the wheel.

The classic rhetorical question, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?” is posed to children by their parents to warn them about the dangers of peer pressure. It also comes into play with speeding in the Silver State.

In Nevada, 51 percent of drivers said that keeping up with traffic on a roadway was safer than obeying the speed limit, which is above the national average of 49 percent, according to the foundation.

Of Nevada drivers surveyed, 28 percent of them classify themselves as “sometimes” speeders, compared to 30 percent nationwide.

Nationwide, speeding is a factor in 30 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the foundation.

“The speed limit is there for everyone to get home safely,” Todd Burger, AAA Mountain West Group chief automotive officer, said in a statement. “We’re calling on every motorist to choose to drive the speed limit. It’s a life-saving decision that provides the space and time needed to react to the unexpected.”

Through July, there have been 199 crash-related deaths in Nevada roadways, down 13 percent from the first seven months of 2025, according to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.

Clark County accounted for 109 of the traffic deaths seen through July, with that number down 31 percent over the 157 deaths seen on Southern Nevada roadways.

The state doesn’t provide data on how many crashes were attributed to speeding, but its monthly reports always list speeding and impairment as the top contributing factors to the deaths on Silver State roads.

The top reasons for Nevada drivers to stop speeding are:

To avoid a speeding ticket (76 percent).

To avoid a crash (70 percent).

While driving in inclement weather (50 percent).

To protect other road users (49 percent).

Despite having speeding tendencies, Nevada drivers are supportive of measures to counter speeding, according to the survey.

Police enforcement is supported by 90 percent of Nevada drivers. They favor increased police presence in areas where there’s a history of speed-related crashes.

Automated speed cameras are not allowed in the state, but 75 percent of Nevada drivers support automated speed cameras in high-risk areas, according to the survey.

In-vehicle technology is supported by 60 percent of Nevada motorists, including dashboard alerts when traveling faster than posted speed limits. Support of technology decreases to 34 percent when it actively restricts speed without driver override.

Speed bumps are supported by 43 percent of drivers when they are in their own neighborhood.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.