Looking down a safer road

Lincoln(Neb.) Journal Star: The progress made in making Nebraska’s roads safer is nothing short of amazing.

Fewer people died in crashes on the state’s streets and highways last year than in any year except 1944.

And that was a year when driving was severely curtailed by government rationing for gas and tires during World War II.

Nebraska ended 2011 with 179 traffic fatalities, compared to 166 traffic fatalities in 1944. The peak came in 1971, when 489 people died.

The drop is even more astonishing considering that Nebraskans are driving billions of miles every year.

Last year, drivers traveled 19.7 billion miles, with just fewer than one death per 100 million miles traveled.

That fatality rate was the lowest ever, and Fred Zwonechek, administrator for the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, thinks the record will be broken when the total number of miles traveled last year becomes available.

The improvement in highway safety is a continuation of a nationwide trend.

Experts say that improvement in road safety is due to multiple factors.

Safety features such as front and side air bags, anti-lock brakes and stability control systems have made cars safer. Highway design has improved. Drunken driving has declined, thanks to stricter enforcement and changes in societal attitudes. Seat belt usage has increased.