AASHTO Journal - Nebraska DOT Begins ‘Community-Driven’ Safety Campaign

This summer, the Nebraska Department of Transportation is launching what it calls a new “community-driven” public safety initiative in the counties of York, Saline, and Douglas to boost seat belt use among what the agency calls “one of the hardest-to-reach” demographics – male pickup truck drivers, aged 18 to 55 years in age.

[Above photo by Nebraska DOT]

The Nebraska DOT said its new seat belt campaign “flips the script” on traditional public service messaging by having community members take the creative lead on the message, design and media. It will use radio, billboard, social media and digital advertising as well as community sponsorships and live events to spread its “buckle up” safety message.

The initiative, entitled “Community Voices for Road Safety,” was developed and implemented by Travelers Marketing through close collaboration with community members, including farmers, community leaders, parents, educators and students. Those efforts led to the creation of the message aimed at the campaign’s target audience: “They built the road. You drive the future. Buckle up.”

“This campaign highlights the genuineness of Nebraskans. It’s our neighbors and friends sharing why buckling up and setting the standard of wearing a seat belt matters,” said Ryley Egger, Nebraska DOT’s Highway Safety Office administrator, in a statement. “These are Nebraska’s roads, Nebraska’s families, and Nebraska’s future. That’s what makes this campaign hit home.”

[Editor’s note: Several other state agencies are also engaged similar “community-driven” safety initiative in their respective regions of the country, including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety.]

“Your parents and grandparents built these farms, roads, and towns with their bare hands and lots of grit,” added Eric Koeppe, president and CEO of the National Safety Council–Nebraska Chapter. “Buckling up is just a simple way to honor what they built and make sure we’re here to keep it going.”

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nebraska’s seat belt usage is second-worst in the country at 77.3 percent compared to a national rate of 91.9 percent. Additionally, Nebraska’s 251 fatalities in 2024 were the most in nearly two decades, with 166 of them occurring on rural roads.

“In many of our rural communities, the habit of not wearing a seat belt starts early. Kids learn to drive on the farm behind the wheel of a tractor or something else that doesn’t have seat belts,” noted Gary Young, Jr., police chief for the City of Crete. “It’s part of how a lot of folks grow up here in Nebraska. But putting that seat belt on is the most important thing we can do to make sure we’re around for our kids and grandkids.”