It was sunny, warm and deadly in January.
Both Nebraska and Iowa recorded unusually high numbers of road fatalities last month — more than twice as many as in January 2011.
Mild weather meant more cars, motorcycles and pedestrians out and about, and that increased the chance for accidents in January, officials said.
But poor seat belt compliance, alcohol use and distracted drivers were big contributors to deadly crashes.
"With dry roads and clear skies, many people will drive more aggressively than in (normal) winter weather conditions," said Rose White of AAA Nebraska.
The spike in January traffic deaths followed one of the best years on record for Nebraska and Iowa road fatalities — each state saw its lowest toll since 1944.
In Nebraska, 19 people died in traffic accidents last month, compared with eight a year ago. Forty died in Iowa crashes, compared to 19 in January 2011.
Of the Nebraska deaths, two were pedestrians and one was a motorcyclist — that's uncommon in the winter — and 16 were vehicle occupants.
Fifteen of those vehicle occupants weren't buckled up.
The Nebraska State Patrol reported that nine of the vehicle crashes were rollover accidents in which the person killed was thrown or partially ejected from the vehicle.
Fred Zwonechek, head of the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, said research has shown that wearing a seat belt improves a person's chance of surviving a crash by 50 percent to 60 percent.
"At least half of the people would have likely survived those collisions and been around for next January if they had been buckled up," Zwonechek said.
He said 85 percent of people wear seat belts, but those who don't are dying in the more violent collisions.
White said the highest percentages of unbelted people are teenagers and travelers in rural areas.
About half of the 40 people who died in traffic accidents in Iowa were not wearing seat belts.
Dena Gray-Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said the state saw several multiple-fatality accidents, and quite a few involved frost or ice on the road.
"People can get complacent with warmer weather. They're not looking for frost or ice if there isn't snow on the ground," Gray-Fisher said.
Driving is the most dangerous thing that most people do daily, Zwonechek said.
Although he feels like a broken record, he added, "Buckle up and make sure your passengers are belted in. Be a safe, alert and sober driver."
Contact the writer:
402-444-3131, sam.womack@owh.com
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