Happy 2026!
Our 2025 Year in Review was sobering. After 2024 became the deadliest year on Nebraska roadways in decades, with 251 lives lost, many feared the trend would continue. While final numbers are still being confirmed, preliminary data shows 224 traffic fatalities in 2025.
That decrease matters, but it offers little comfort to the families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors who are still missing those individuals. Every number represents a person, and every loss ripples outward in ways statistics can’t capture.
And while the overall fatality total declined, another troubling pattern emerged.
Pedestrian deaths increased sharply in 2025
Thirty pedestrians were killed on Nebraska roadways — 12 more than the five-year rolling average and the highest number in roughly a decade. In 2024, there were 19 pedestrian fatalities for further comparison.
Even more disturbing were when these were the product of hit-and-run crashes. When these incidents occur, particularly at times with little to no traffic, what might have been an injury scenario can quickly transform into a fatality as the victim fails to receive any sort of medical intervention.
Living in Nebraska is very difficult without a car, particularly outside some of the larger population cities. Public transportation may not be an option, one may have to cross highways and other high speed/volume streets, and people may not be looking for pedestrians as they’re unaccustomed to seeing them. Too often this issue becomes contentious with finger pointing both ways, and there is truth on both sides. Pedestrians have responsibilities to help keep themselves safe: crossing at appropriate areas, wearing higher visibility clothing in low light, and avoiding distraction while crossing. Drivers need to be scanning ahead, watching their speed, and being patient to allow pedestrians to safely cross.
Seatbelt use improved slightly
Nebraska’s seatbelt usage rate increased from 77% to 80%. Though it doesn’t sound like much, Nebraska was the second to last for seatbelt usage in the nation, and this improvement moves the state up a few slots. More importantly, it means people are giving themselves the best chance of survival in the event of a crash. Wearing your seatbelt improves your chance of survival vs injury by 45% in a car and 60% in a truck.
A final reminder
It’s crucial to remember that these crashes are preventable. Most crashes are because of some sort of human error such as speeding, following too closely, impairment, and many others. It’s not about blaming people, it’s about understanding the causes to help change behavior, use technology and infrastructure, and other tools to prevent repeats.
