Nebraska Pedestrian Fatalities
Unfortunately, people who walk or jog along a roadway, or who stand by a road waiting for a bus or ride face a great risk from motor vehicles. Even though traffic deaths have decreased across the nation since the 1970s, fatal pedestrian accidents remain far too high. In fact, 15 percent of all motor vehicle deaths are pedestrians, and nearly all of them were preventable.
Between 2006 and 2011, less than 10 people were killed each year while walking Nebraska roads, however, pedestrian fatalities jumped to 15 in 2012, and 19 in 2015, after falling below ten in 2014. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that to reduce this problem, pedestrians should be separated from traffic by safety measures such as –
- Sidewalks
- Overpasses
- Underpasses
- Barriers
Other safety measures that can reduce the problem include-
- Better intersection signal times
- Increased lighting and illumination
- Pedestrian crosswalk beacons
Of course, reducing and enforcing speed limits is beneficial also as slower speeds decrease the risk of an accident and can lessen the severity of injuries if there is one. The most common and serious injuries pedestrians suffer in motor vehicle accidents are from contact with the bumper, hood, and windshield that result in head and brain injuries, and leg and pelvis injuries.
Aside from the measures the state can take, drivers too are tasked with improving safety for the most vulnerable road users. You can do this by avoiding distracted driving, not speeding or driving after consuming alcohol or drugs, always paying attention to what’s going on outside the vehicle, and staying focused on your responsibilities as a driver. Newer vehicles may have technologies to help you be a safer driver, like automatic braking to avoid impact, though the efficacy of these technologies is yet unknown.