Local law enforcement officers in Dodge County issued 20 citations during the National U Drive. U Text. U Pay enforcement campaign that ran April 8-12.
The campaign was aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving in the state.
Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen said officials are seeing far too many injuries and deaths associated with texting, messaging and other forms of distracted driving.
“This campaign allowed us to really focus on this issue and to let drivers know that these behaviors are dangerous, illegal and will not be tolerated,” he said. “The bottom line is this: Drivers’ hands should be on the wheel, their eyes should be on the road and their concentration on the task of driving — always.”
The fatality rate on Nebraska roadways for 2019 was 1.16 persons killed per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. In 2019, there were 248 motor vehicle fatalities. Of those fatalities, 178 took place in urban areas and 70 took place in rural areas of the state.
From 2012 to 2019, 26,004 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. While fatalities from motor-vehicle crashes decreased slightly from 2018, distraction-related fatalities increased by 10 percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reported that the number of deaths linked to driver distraction was 3,142 nationwide — almost nine percent of all fatalities in 2019. That represents a 10 percent increase over 2018 or 284 more fatalities.
On Air Now
Fremont’s Morning Mix with Chris Walz
Mon - Fri: 06:00 AM - 09:00 AM
