LINCOLN, Neb. — Sixteen people were killed in traffic crashes across Nebraska in July, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The fatalities came from 15 separate crashes. Among the 11 vehicle occupants who died, five were not wearing seatbelts, two were buckled in, and seatbelt use was unknown for four others.
Eight of the deaths happened in rural areas, including two on the interstate and six on other highways. Eight others were on local roads. The toll also included three pedestrians, two motorcyclists and two all-terrain vehicle riders.
The July total marks a decline from a year earlier, when 24 people died on Nebraska roads. So far in 2025, 117 people have died in 107 crashes between January and July, a 25% drop from the same stretch of 2024, when 146 people were killed in 131 crashes.
Seatbelt use continues to be a major factor: of the 94 vehicle occupants killed this year, just 35 were wearing one, the DOT said.
The data, compiled by the agency’s Highway Safety Section, is current as of Aug. 14.