2004 Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report

NHTSA · 2004 · ROSA P / Nebraska. Dept. of Roads

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Summary

The 2004 Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report, published by the Nebraska Department of Roads, analyzes motor vehicle crash data to identify safety trends and inform policy. The report addresses the inherent dangers of driving, attributing most crashes to improper driver behavior rather than vehicle or roadway failures. It aims to increase driver awareness and support the development of a Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan targeting a fatality rate of 1.0 per hundred million vehicle miles traveled by 2008. The study utilizes data from 37,227 reportable crashes in Nebraska during 2004, defined as incidents involving death, injury, or property damage exceeding $1,000. The analysis categorizes crashes by type (fatal, injury, property damage only), location, time, driver demographics, vehicle type, and contributing circumstances. It compares 2004 data against a ten-year trend (1995–2004) and specific 2003 figures to assess changes in crash frequency and severity. Key findings indicate that 229 fatal crashes resulted in 254 deaths, yielding a fatality rate of 1.4 per 100 million vehicle miles, a decrease from previous years. Property damage-only crashes constituted 60.8% of all incidents, while injury crashes accounted for 38.6%. Alcohol involvement was present in 35.4% of fatal crashes, with drivers aged 21–34 disproportionately represented in alcohol-related incidents. Seatbelt usage was low among victims; only 33.8% of those killed and 47.4% of those with disabling injuries were belted, despite a statewide observed usage rate of 79.2%. Young drivers (15–24) had the highest crash involvement rates, while males accounted for 73.9% of fatal crashes. Motorcycle crashes reached a ten-year high of 413, correlating with increased registrations. Geographically, 65% of fatalities occurred on two-lane rural roads, and Douglas County recorded the highest number of deaths. The report concludes that continued improvements in vehicle design, roadway engineering, and enforcement have contributed to a general downward trend in fatality rates. However, it emphasizes that driving remains dangerous and that individual responsibility is critical. The data supports ongoing initiatives, such as the State Highway Safety Summit, which have helped reduce work zone crashes by nearly 50% over six years. The findings underscore the need for sustained focus on seatbelt compliance, alcohol impairment, and intersection safety to further reduce fatalities.

Key finding

In 2004, Nebraska recorded 254 traffic fatalities with a rate of 1.4 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, where 35.4 percent of fatal crashes involved alcohol and drivers aged 15-24 were disproportionately represented in crash statistics.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 37227

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