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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.
July 9, 2025
Heatstroke Every summer, the same tragedy repeats: kids and pets dying in hot cars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more hot car deaths occur in July than any other month of the year. Even outside the heat of mid and late summer, however, the dangers of leaving people – especially children […]
June 10, 2025
It’s one of the most dangerous things you do every day—and you probably don’t even think about it. Motor vehicle incidents are among the top three causes of preventable death and injury in the U.S., right alongside poisoning and falls. They’re also the leading cause of occupational death in both Nebraska and nationwide. Pedestrian and […]
May 12, 2025
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer — but it also kicks off the 100 Deadliest Days on U.S. roadways. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, this period is characterized by a spike in fatal crashes, particularly among teens, though everyone’s risk increases. Nationwide, more people are on the road during the summer months. […]