2002 Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report: State of Nebraska

NHTSA · 2002 · ROSA P / Nebraska. Department of Roads

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Summary

This report, published by the Nebraska Department of Roads, analyzes traffic crash data for the year 2002 to identify safety trends and inform public awareness. The document addresses the inherent dangers of driving, attributing most crashes to improper driver behavior rather than vehicle or roadway defects. It aims to highlight specific risk factors, such as seatbelt non-use and alcohol involvement, to support ongoing safety initiatives like the “Click It, Don’t Risk It” coalition. The study utilizes data from 46,238 reportable crashes, defined as incidents involving death, injury, or property damage exceeding $500. The analysis categorizes crashes by severity (fatal, injury, and property damage only), geographic location, time, driver demographics, vehicle type, and contributing circumstances. The report compares 2002 statistics with historical trends from 1993 to 2001 and national averages. Key metrics include crash rates per 100 million vehicle miles, restraint usage surveys, and alcohol testing results, which are mandatory for fatal crashes but optional for others. In 2002, Nebraska recorded 272 fatal crashes resulting in 307 deaths, a significant increase from the previous year. The statewide death rate was 1.7 per 100 million vehicle miles. Property damage-only crashes constituted the majority of incidents (65.8%), followed by injury crashes (33.6%). Alcohol was involved in 37.5% of fatal crashes, while 75% of fatalities involved unbelted occupants. Young drivers aged 15–24 were disproportionately represented in crashes, accounting for 34.8% of all incidents and 28.7% of fatal crashes. Males comprised 57.1% of drivers in all crashes but were involved in 75.1% of fatal crashes. Intersection crashes accounted for nearly 50% of all incidents, while two-lane rural roads saw 65% of fatalities. Motorcycle crashes rose to 383, the highest in a decade, correlating with increased registrations. Driver contributing circumstances were dominated by "no improper driving" citations due to form changes, but among identified errors, failure to yield and following too closely were prevalent. The findings underscore that driver behavior is the primary contributor to crash severity. The data reveals that while overall death rates have trended downward since 1961 due to improved vehicle design and enforcement, specific risks remain high among young drivers, alcohol-impaired motorists, and those on rural roads. The report concludes that increasing seatbelt usage and addressing alcohol involvement are critical for reducing fatalities. It highlights the economic loss of nearly $2 billion and emphasizes the need for continued driver education and enforcement to mitigate the dangers of improper driving.

Key finding

In 2002, 75 percent of traffic fatalities in Nebraska involved occupants not wearing seatbelts, and 37.5 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 46238

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities
• comparative international
• vru crash typology
• crash typology

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence