The Nebraska State Department of Roads (NDOR) released its annual report recently, in which the agency outlined performance measures and ancillary initiatives in its “Toward Zero Deaths” safety program.
According to the report, the mission statement of the safety push is characterized as: “To heighten the awareness of safety and driving responsibility on Nebraska roadways. A consistent decline in fatalities reflects improved safety management practices, greater public awareness of safe driving practices, and will reduce statewide societal costs.”
Following a significant reduction in roadway fatalities from 254 in 2004 to 181 in 2011, the number rose to 225 in 2014. The implication of mitigated success in safety initiatives is one area of concern for NDOR, commensurate with a program to make roads themselves physically safer, notably via the institution of beveled edges along specific roadways.
“NDOR continues allocating resources to keeping vehicles in their lanes and minimizing the severity of leaving the lane or roadway. NDOR uses both edge line and, where appropriate, centerline rumble strips to notify drivers of departure from their lane. Over the past several years, statewide highway improvement projects have constructed rumble strips on most of the higher volume state highways. Recently, Nebraska began installing a beveled edge along the edge of selected roadways so, in the event drivers do leave the roadway, they experience a smoother recovery back onto the roadway.”
Also among the myriad details outlined in the report are strategies to assuage severe roadway crashes, which have climbed steadily since 2005; efforts to take fiscal responsibility for funding applications in terms of ensuring a widespread method of addressing infrastructure needs; an environmental stewardship initiative to monitor activity and actions along construction zones; and the development of multi-medium communication methods to keep ancillary agencies along with the traveling public abreast of new developments.
The full report can be read here.
