Deadly rural roads and securing a safe ride home

Each weekday, a grim email arrives in our newsroom from the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Titled simply “Daily Traffic Fatality Report,” the message is a stark reminder of how fragile life can be behind the wheel. It’s also disturbingly dynamic, reflecting new tragedies all too often.

As of Monday, Dec. 16, 238 people have died in traffic accidents on Nebraska’s roads in 2024. That’s an 8% increase from last year’s total of 220 fatalities – and there are still two weeks left in the year, including a holiday season notorious for increased travel and celebration. Even more alarming, 66% of these fatalities – 158 lives lost – occurred on rural roads.

For our rural communities, this statistic is especially poignant. Roads that seem empty, quiet, or deceptively safe often lack the safeguards present in urban areas, such as lighting, divided highways, and lower speed limits. Add alcohol to the mix, and those quiet roads become deadly.

In response to these troubling trends, local and state law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to keep our roads safer during the holiday season. The Nebraska State Patrol, McCook Police Department, and the Red Willow County Sheriff’s Department are all participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, which runs through Jan. 1. This effort combines increased patrols and public awareness to deter impaired driving.

The Nebraska State Patrol reports that troopers have made 1,339 DUI arrests so far this year, a 14% increase over 2023. That’s a staggering number, yet it pales in comparison to the loss of life caused by impaired drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that more than 4,700 lives were lost in alcohol-related crashes nationwide during the month of December from 2018 to 2022.

Closer to home, McCook Police Chief Kevin Hodgson announced his department’s participation in the campaign, with officers working overtime to enforce traffic laws and target impaired drivers. The statistics they shared are sobering: Young drivers, particularly males aged 21-34, account for the highest percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in December, and nighttime driving between midnight and 3 a.m. is particularly dangerous.

The message from law enforcement is clear: impaired driving is never worth the risk. Yet despite the warnings despite the statistics, many still make the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking.

This holiday season, let’s do better – for ourselves, for our families, and for our communities. If you’ve had too much to drink, don’t let pride cloud your judgment. Call a sober friend, use a rideshare service, or arrange for a designated driver before the festivities begin. And if you see someone about to drive impaired, don’t hesitate to intervene – it could save a life.

The numbers in those daily traffic fatality reports are more than statistics; they are parents, children, and friends who won’t be gathering around the holiday table this year. We can’t undo the losses of 2024, but we can honor those lives by making better choices going forward. Let’s work together to ensure the season of joy doesn’t turn into one of tragedy.

This year, make the commitment: plan ahead, drive sober, and help others do the same. It’s a simple step, but it could mean the difference between life and death on Nebraska’s roads.