Dear Fellow Nebraskans:
Last year marked an important achievement for Nebraska in the area of road safety. In virtually every measurement tracked by state government, Nebraska drivers and those who help keep our roads safe made important gains in 2007.
While the number of miles traveled on Nebraska roads has increased significantly during the past 10 to 15 years, fatalities on state roadways have declined 4.8 percent in 2007 compared to the year before. It was the sixth lowest figure recorded in the past 50 years.
The resulting fatality rate of 1.33 deaths per one hundred million vehicle miles traveled is the lowest since the state began keeping records. Since 1998, Nebraska’s overall fatality rate has declined by more than 27 percent.
In addition to the decline in roadway fatalities, the number of traffic-related injuries has also reached new lows in recent years.
In 1998, there were a reported 30,581 traffic-related injuries. In 2006, that number decreased by nearly 40 percent. During the same time frame, serious and fatal crashes involving young drivers have declined 30 percent, with the number of alcohol-related crashes declining by 12 percent and the number of crashes in work zones dropping by more than 62 percent.
This is happening at a time when the number of miles traveled by drivers has increased, and the number of licensed drivers and registered vehicles have increased 13 and 15 percent respectively. Drivers are also doing their part to protect themselves and their passengers. Last year, Nebraska’s child restraint use for children 5 and under reached 93 percent, nearly double the rate in 1998, and seat belt use was near an all-time high of 78 percent for our state.
These improvements are the result of the concerted efforts of law enforcement officers across Nebraska, as well as the partnerships between local and county law enforcement, the Nebraska State Patrol, state agencies such as the Nebraska Departments of Roads and Motor Vehicles, and the private sector to promote road safety.
Through statewide initiatives encouraging drivers and passengers to wear seat belts and campaigns that discourage drunk driving, Nebraskans are getting the message about the need to take proper precautions on the road. These efforts, combined with regular safety and sobriety checks and the day-to-day work of officers responding to accidents and calls for assistance, have made a real difference.
These accomplishments by law enforcement agencies across our state have helped make Nebraska a safer place for our citizens and the many travelers who visit our state each year. I thank them for helping ensure the safety and well-being of all Nebraskans.
While these partnerships have helped our state make improvements in road safety, the most important role is that of the individual. Buckling up is still the best way of preventing fatalities on the road.
My hope is that we can continue the progress made in recent years. By wearing seatbelts, moving over for emergency personnel and obeying speed limits, we can better protect ourselves, our passengers and all motorists.
