Nebraska has seen a significant increase in the number of car accident deaths in 2024 compared to 2023.
According to Nebraska Department of Transportation statistics, there have been 94 traffic deaths so far this year. At this time last year, 72 deaths had been recorded.
Most of that 30% increase has occurred on rural roads: there have only been four deaths in Lincoln this year, while that number was three at this time last year.
The five-year average until May 24 in rural areas is 53 fatalities, while on urban roads it is 24.
Typically, this is because higher speed limits in rural areas increase the severity of those crashes, according to NDOT Highway Safety Administrator Bill Kovarik.
This year that gap has widened, with 68 deaths on rural roads and 26 deaths in urban areas as of May 24.
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“It’s about the driver’s behavior going in the wrong direction again,” Kovarik said, pointing to several possible factors.
The first is the use of seat belts, which have been shown to reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 45% for someone in the front seat of a vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Seat belt use is particularly important when it comes to high-speed crashes, which can result in occupants being ejected from the vehicle if they are not properly restrained, significantly increasing the chances of death.
Kovarik said that in many of the fatal accidents, those killed were not wearing seat belts.
“Any small mistake made going 75 miles per hour will usually result in a death,” he said. “We just need everyone to wear their seat belts again. I think that would help considerably.”
Driver impairment is another area of concern, Kovarik said.
According to the Lincoln Police Department’s annual report, there were 1,244 DUIs in 2023, compared to the five-year average of 983 between 2018 and 2022.
Police Chief Michon Morrow said the department has worked to crack down on drunk driving by participating in several law enforcement projects that fund overtime for officers.
“These (projects) probably prevent accidents and probably save lives as well,” Morrow said at a news conference last month.
In April, Grabiel Revilla, 34, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after a crash near South 28th Street and Pine Lake Road that killed Omar Rios, 23, and Darien Rosales, 21.
Revilla is accused of being under the influence of alcohol when the Honda Pilot he was driving left the north side of Pine Lake Road, rolled and collided with a tree. Ríos and Rosales were passengers in the vehicle.
First responders found Revilla unconscious in the driver’s seat with the odor of alcohol, according to the probable cause affidavit.
A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.119%, more than twice the legal limit.
“We have details that show that about 30% or more of our deaths each year are the result of driving under the influence,” Kovarik said.
Nebraska has also seen a 29% increase in fatal crashes involving motorcycles so far this year compared to this point in 2023, and a 36% increase over the five-year average as of May 24.
Motorcycle safety is something Lincoln mother Melissa Blakemore has worked to raise awareness about after her son, John Howell, was riding his motorcycle through the intersection of South 33rd Street and Nebraska Parkway and collided with a minivan that He didn’t give way.
Howell was in the hospital for a month after suffering multiple facial fractures, a broken jaw, ribs, sternum, a brain hemorrhage and a partially collapsed lung. She continues to recover and will need more rehabilitation.
Blakemore said a few extra moments of vigilance for motorcyclists could save lives.
“This can happen to any motorcyclist,” he said.
Contact the writer at 402-473-7254 or avargas@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @Alex_Vargas1994
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