Scottsbluff — Local law enforcement officers in the City of Scottsbluff issued a total of 27 citations, issued 79 warnings, had four felony arrests, and made seven warrant arrests during the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. high-visibility enforcement campaign that ran April 8-12. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of Distracted Driving in Nebraska.
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 248 fatalities, 178 took place in urban areas and 70 took place in rural areas of the state. It is important to stress to drivers the dangers of driving distracted as the number of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in Nebraska has increased every year since 2016.
According to NHTSA, between 2012 and 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%. NHTSA also reported that the number of deaths linked to driver distraction was 3,142 nationwide, or almost 9% of all fatalities in 2019. This represents a 10% increase over the year 2018, or 284 more fatalities. The distraction figure was the largest increase in causes of traffic deaths reported for 2019.
While the high-visibility enforcement mobilization is over for now, the Scottsbluff Police Department wants motorists to remember the dangers of texting and distracted driving beyond the enforcement effort. Next time you think about checking your phone when you’re driving, remember: U Drive. U Text. U Pay. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.