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New Year’s resolutions aren’t known for their sticking power, but the idea of using the New Year as an opportunity to improve oneself is admirable. Change can be difficult while routines are comfortable and easy. To be successful, you need one or all of the following: discipline, motivation, and accountability.
If you’re asking yourself, “What sort of traffic safety blog post am I reading here?” let me suggest a commitment (or re-commitment) to being a defensive driver. Defensive driving isn’t just about self-preservation either, you’re helping to keep others who are on and around the roadways safe, and after 2024, there’s a lot of room for improvement.
According to the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s (NDOT) Daily Fatality Toll, 2024 ended with 251 deaths and 223 crashes across the state. That’s an average of a death every day for two-thirds of the year. It’s also the deadliest year Nebraska’s roadways have registered since 256 deaths in 2007. Even more concerning were the high rates of death amongst Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs): cyclists, pedestrians, bikers, and all others who are ultimately unprotected by some outside shield such as the body of a car.
It will take time for all the crash data to be processed and presented for 2024, but we all know some of the main culprits from reading and watching the news and from our own time on the roadways. Drivers are going too fast – not just exceeding posted speed limits but not matching the conditions in inclement weather. Impaired drivers endanger themselves and others. Distraction, particularly from cell phones, and the failure to wear seatbelts often exacerbate these problems but can also pose dangers of their own.
251 people won’t be joining us for everything we have to look forward to 2025. Let’s reverse the trend and make safe choices.
December 9, 2024
Your presence is a present! You’ve probably heard that before, and maybe it seems a little corny or clichéd, but its message is both simple and true. The holiday season can be a whirlwind with travel plans or hosting arrangements, celebration set-up and planning, and last-minute gift buying. It’s easy to take safe travels for […]
November 8, 2024
Now is the perfect time to make sure you and your vehicle are ready for winter driving. Here are some quick tips and hints that can help you start thinking about how you can be the most prepared for whatever winter might bring. Is Your Car Ready? Tires: Do you have all-weather or winter tires? […]
October 10, 2024
There are three, crucially important traffic safety observances in the month of October. Pedestrian Safety Month, School Bus Safety Week, and Teen Driving Safety Week. This year, there have already been more pedestrian fatalities in Nebraska than in the entire year of 2023. While motorists can help prevent these deaths by simply slowing down, paying […]