NSP Troop B helps drivers stay safe during National Road Victim Month

NORFOLK, Neb. -- "One of the main things that can increase your life when you're driving is wearing that seatbelt,” said Lt. Ben Brakenhoff, Nebraska State Patrol Troop B. 

August marks National Road Victim Month bringing awareness to those who have died or suffered injury from vehicle accidents. 

By this time last year 137 fatalities were reported in Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, although this year's numbers are down 16% tracking in at 115. 

Brakenhoff said that adhering to safe driving practices can cause an even bigger dip in traffic fatalities. 

"Aspects we like to focus on to reduce the fatalities in crashes, is just people following the rules of the road, speeding, not driving distracted is always a big thing we try to look for and enforce,” said Brakenhoff.

Brakenhoff said that these two factors alone contribute to a lot of crashes, making it important for drivers to stay keen to these and other factors through proper public education. 

"Through our community service outreach as far as seatbelt rollover demonstrations, teen driver demonstrations, doing programs at schools, doing demonstrations on what's it like to be driving impaired with some impaired goggles to kind of get that feel of 'hey, this is what it is and something to avoid,'" said Brakenhoff.

Brakenhoff said that teen drivers especially familiarize themselves with how their particular car drives on the road, as well as to pay attention to changing road characteristics such as curves and hills, but most importantly wear their seatbelts. 

"We're at about the time of the year again when new drivers are going to be on the road driving to school," Brakenhoff said. "A lot of things we kind of notice sometimes with your drivers is they don't really wear their seatbelt, and that's one of the biggest things you can do to increase your chances of surviving in a crash."