July 2, 2009
Important Progress in Road Safety
In the midst of the summer travel season, I wanted to share with you an update on recent improvements in road safety in Nebraska. I am very pleased to report that the fatality rate for motor vehicle crashes in Nebraska is at a 63 year low.
There is more good news. We are on track for an even better year in 2009, with 89 fatalities to-date through the end of June. That is down 11 percent from this time last year and 32 percent fewer fatalities compared with 2007.
Additionally, the seat belt use rate in Nebraska increased last year from 79 percent to 83 percent for drivers and front seat passengers. The use of child safety restraints increased from 93 to 96 percent. Compare that with 2002, when seat belt usage and proper restraints for young children were both at 70 percent in Nebraska. We’re making good progress, particularly since vehicle traffic on Nebraska roads has increased more than three percent since last May.
Several things have made this improvement possible and resulted in safer roadways. One important reason is the effort we’ve made in the last few years to reach out to motorists and remind them to buckle up. For five years now, the state of Nebraska has begun the summer travel season in May with the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization and other efforts that have had a positive impact.
These campaigns bring law enforcement and safety organizations from across the state together to encourage motorists to buckle up. Another piece of the road safety puzzle is the increased enforcement efforts of the Nebraska State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies. Better awareness among drivers and high visibility enforcement checks for safety and sobriety have proven to be a very effective in improving safety on highways.
In 2008, State troopers wrote more than 3,200 seat belt use citations, issued another 8,500 warnings, and gave out more than 1,800 citations and warnings to drivers with children who were not properly restrained. While enforcement efforts are an important function, the State Patrol is also involved in prevention and education efforts.
The State Patrol has a new tool purchased through grant funds and private donations. The four Seat Belt Convincers demonstrate the difference wearing a seat belt can make by simulating the shock of a low-impact collision at just five to seven miles per hour. It gives drivers and passengers an appreciation for the importance of wearing a seat belt every time they get in a vehicle.
The summer travel season goes hand in hand with additional construction projects. Hundreds of improvement projects are already underway and more are scheduled to begin this summer, so it’s even more important to pay attention to signs and be aware when work crews are out on the roads.
I want to thank everyone who is part of Nebraska's public safety efforts. State troopers, local law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel provide the quick response that can make a difference in a crash. They work with other public safety experts at the Nebraska Departments of Motor Vehicles and Roads to coordinate the safety campaigns.
The most important partnership is the one we have with individual motorists. The progress we’ve made in reducing the number of crashes and fatalities is because Nebraskans are taking the basic steps to protect themselves and their families.
Wearing a seat belt is still one of the best ways to ensure your safety in any vehicle. In 2008, 183 vehicle occupants died from injuries in a crash on Nebraska roadways. Of those, 118 were not wearing seat belts. That number makes a convincing argument for taking proper precautions.
Whether you’re traveling a highway, an interstate or making a routine drive home or to work; wearing a seatbelt or helmet, taking extra caution in construction zones, moving over for emergency personnel, and obeying speed limits are essential in helping ensure your own safety and that of others.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Governor's Column by Dave Heineman
July 2, 2009
Important Progress in Road Safety
In the midst of the summer travel season, I wanted to share with you an update on recent improvements in road safety in Nebraska. I am very pleased to report that the fatality rate for motor vehicle crashes in Nebraska is at a 63 year low.
There is more good news. We are on track for an even better year in 2009, with 89 fatalities to-date through the end of June. That is down 11 percent from this time last year and 32 percent fewer fatalities compared with 2007.
Additionally, the seat belt use rate in Nebraska increased last year from 79 percent to 83 percent for drivers and front seat passengers. The use of child safety restraints increased from 93 to 96 percent. Compare that with 2002, when seat belt usage and proper restraints for young children were both at 70 percent in Nebraska. We’re making good progress, particularly since vehicle traffic on Nebraska roads has increased more than three percent since last May.
Several things have made this improvement possible and resulted in safer roadways. One important reason is the effort we’ve made in the last few years to reach out to motorists and remind them to buckle up. For five years now, the state of Nebraska has begun the summer travel season in May with the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization and other efforts that have had a positive impact.
These campaigns bring law enforcement and safety organizations from across the state together to encourage motorists to buckle up. Another piece of the road safety puzzle is the increased enforcement efforts of the Nebraska State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies. Better awareness among drivers and high visibility enforcement checks for safety and sobriety have proven to be a very effective in improving safety on highways.
In 2008, State troopers wrote more than 3,200 seat belt use citations, issued another 8,500 warnings, and gave out more than 1,800 citations and warnings to drivers with children who were not properly restrained. While enforcement efforts are an important function, the State Patrol is also involved in prevention and education efforts.
The State Patrol has a new tool purchased through grant funds and private donations. The four Seat Belt Convincers demonstrate the difference wearing a seat belt can make by simulating the shock of a low-impact collision at just five to seven miles per hour. It gives drivers and passengers an appreciation for the importance of wearing a seat belt every time they get in a vehicle.
The summer travel season goes hand in hand with additional construction projects. Hundreds of improvement projects are already underway and more are scheduled to begin this summer, so it’s even more important to pay attention to signs and be aware when work crews are out on the roads.
I want to thank everyone who is part of Nebraska's public safety efforts. State troopers, local law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel provide the quick response that can make a difference in a crash. They work with other public safety experts at the Nebraska Departments of Motor Vehicles and Roads to coordinate the safety campaigns.
The most important partnership is the one we have with individual motorists. The progress we’ve made in reducing the number of crashes and fatalities is because Nebraskans are taking the basic steps to protect themselves and their families.
Wearing a seat belt is still one of the best ways to ensure your safety in any vehicle. In 2008, 183 vehicle occupants died from injuries in a crash on Nebraska roadways. Of those, 118 were not wearing seat belts. That number makes a convincing argument for taking proper precautions.
Whether you’re traveling a highway, an interstate or making a routine drive home or to work; wearing a seatbelt or helmet, taking extra caution in construction zones, moving over for emergency personnel, and obeying speed limits are essential in helping ensure your own safety and that of others.
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