January Traffic Fatalities See Increase

Traffic fatalities in Nebraska by the end of January, were at their highest level in the last five years with twenty-four fatalities occurring in twenty crashes. There are several reasons for the increase according to Cindy Houlden, Safety Education and Research Manager at The Nebraska Safety Center in Kearney, but the major reason was the lack of seatbelt usage combined with local road conditions. Twenty-one of the twenty-three vehicle occupants killed were not using safety belts.

According to statistics provided by the Highway Safety Section of the Nebraska Department of Roads, only one fatality occurred on the Interstate. Sixteen happened on non-Interstate highways, and seven took place on local roads. Twenty-one of the fatalities occurred in rural locations. Reduced traffic and familiarity with local roads should make rural highways safer, however, it can often contribute to the problem by making people complacent, even when the weather is dangerous. “Drivers need to be diligent, “said Houlden. “ Just because you drive the same stretch of highway day after day commuting to work or for other reasons, that does not guarantee a safe trip every time.”

Additionally:

• Nine of the fatal crashes were head-on collisions.
• Seven of the fatal crashes were single vehicle run-off-road accidents.
• One of the fatal crashes was a collision with a train.
• One fatality was a pedestrian.

YEAR-TO-DATE TOTALS	FATALITIES	FATAL CRASHES
January – 2013	24	20
COMPARISON
(FATALITIES)	FATALITIES	FATAL CRASHES	% CHANGE v. 2013
2012	22	21	+ 9.1
2011	7	7	+ 242.9
2010	8	7	+ 200.0
2009	14	11	+ 71.4
2009-2012 Avg.	13	12	+ 84.6

Remember:

• Check often for current weather reports through local media sources before you travel.
• Drive for conditions – slower speeds, slower acceleration.
• Use your headlights.
• Do not use cruise control on wet or icy roads.
• Four-wheel and all-wheel vehicles do not stop or steer better on ice.
• Leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
• Most importantly - make sure everyone in a motor vehicle wears a seat belt and children are in a car safety seat.