2012 is off to a deadly start on Nebraska roadways, with 19 people killed in the first month of the New Year....more than double last year's 8. 

Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Colonel Dave Sankey says it's hard to explain the increase in fatalities, but thinks the mild weather January weather may have been a contributing factor by putting more drivers on the road. 

Sankey says the biggest factor is the failure to use seat belts. 15 of the 19 fatalities were not buckled up, and 9 of the fatal crashes involved rollovers where the person killed was fully or partially ejected from the vehicle.

Statistics from the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety show that using seat belts cuts the risk of death or serious injury in a crash by up to 50%, and Sankey points out that wearing a seat belt isn't just smart, it's the law in Nebraska. 

One in every 26 licensed drivers will be involved in a motor vehicle collision in any given year, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 34.

Nebraska had 180 fatalities last year, the second-lowest fatality rate since 1945 when 166 people were killed on Nebraska roads.