Early stories of Las Vegas describe the community as a tiny array of hotels in the middle of the Mojave Desert where certain privileged visitors would come to escape the urban hubbub of Southern California.
Over time, more people wanted to be part of the privileged few, and more amenities kept being added to bring in more visitors. Essentially, the urban hubbub has come to be called,
“Vegas, baby.”
Today, the city is one of the world’s brightest spots for tourism as well as comedy defensive driving in Nevada. This is literally true if you’re talking about all the lights that never turn off. The town attracts tourists from all around the world. 2016 brought in more than 43 million guests excited for a Sin City experience.
While this growth is generally good news for businesses supported by tourist dollars, the density sometimes can cause challenges for drivers trying to get from Point A to Point B, especially around the Strip area.
Traffic is heavy around at all hours along Las Vegas Boulevard, the main drag fronted by the major casinos. Along with the sizeable hotels themselves, there are plenty of attractions – and distractions – for drivers including restaurants and shops. For a driver new to the city, everything might catch their eye: from afternoon water displays outside the Bellagio to an evening volcano show at the Mirage. It’s also easy to notice replicas of famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty or Eiffel Tower.
And that’s the official ‘Strip,’ which is only 4.2 miles long. Traffic congestion can also be found at Fremont Street, an area outside of town that includes older hotels/casinos plus and an ongoing light show. There’s also a major freeway parallel to Vegas which offers easy access to the strip plus other nearby attractions such as Hoover Dam and Red Rocks.
Though this multi-lane interstate reduces some of the traffic through downtown Vegas, and can sometimes be considered a speedier alternative, it’s also known to get congested at certain times of the day.
Driving well in Las Vegas really takes experience. Education never hurts either, such as what can be offered through an online driving course. Just like Vegas, drivers interested in strategies to navigate the area’s highways and byways can find something for every interest, including comedy defensive driving courses. The subject matter, of course, is always serious, but there are ways to make the experience more memorable and enjoyable.
Some strategies to drive better in and around Las Vegas include:
- Watch for people. Because nothing shuts down, even on Christmas, expect to see people in the street anytime of the day or night. They may cross the street in huge clusters at crosswalks or run into the street anytime or anywhere.
- People may not be watching you. In some high-traffic cities, pedestrians are encouraged to be extra alert, but not every Vegas visitor may receive this warning. Their guard may be down because they’re on vacation, or they’ve been partying extra hard, or they’re equally distracted by the spectacle of the city. So, it may be up to drivers to expect the unexpected where pedestrians are concerned.
- Beware of turn-offs. Each hotel/casino may have one official entrance/exit but plenty of side access areas that people may take accidentally or deliberately, such as special areas for employees or deliveries. That means that there’s a possibility of drivers slowing or turning.
Beware of construction. Because the city is always in motion and constantly growing, this means that hotels or attractions are always being built, plus the roads are always being upgraded, so be ready for construction zones and delays.