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Our view: Huge drop in traffic fatalities shows laws work

PostBulletin, January 9, 2012

During the past three or four years, we've made a habit of checking Minnesota's "Toward Zero Deaths" website on a fairly regular basis. Our main item of interest is the graph in the upper right that shows the up-to-date number of fatalities that have occurred in Minnesota during the current year, and compares that figure to the number of fatalities that had occurred by that date the previous year.

Tevlin: She helps keep cabs for drinkers rolling

Star Tribune, December 27, 2011

Where I lived in central Minnesota there was a dirt road that dissected cornfields midway between Staples and Motley, a straight line that pretty much went from nowhere to nowhere… Since 1999, he has questioned convicted drivers during their plea hearings and had the results analyzed by University of Minnesota Duluth Prof. Rob Weidner.

Study: Phased-in teen driving privileges could save 2,000

USA Today, December 5, 2011

The United States could save 2,000 lives a year if all 50 states instituted comprehensive programs of phased-in driving privileges for teens, according to a report out today.

Seat belt campaign effective in select parts of region

Mankato Free Press, November 11, 2011

Troopers, deputies, and police officers will tell you it’s best to be wearing a seat belt in a rollover crash, and the message to buckle up is repeated regularly through the Toward Zero Deaths campaign. Recent statistics gathered by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety suggest Blue Earth County residents are listening.

Unbelted, at risk on outstate roads

Star Tribune, October 20, 2011

Although seat belt use in Minnesota has reached a high of nearly 93 percent, motorists in greater Minnesota are using seat belts at much lower rates.

Texting while driving proves tough to enforce

Associated Press/Minnesota Public Radio, September 26, 2011

While the number of citations given by state troopers for texting and driving has steadily increased in Minnesota, the North Dakota Highway Patrol says enforcing its own recently enacted texting law has been a challenge.

Minn. police agencies to enforce 'move over' law

Associated Press/Minnesota Public Radio, August 31, 2011

Police agencies in Minnesota will be stepping up enforcement of the state's "Ted Foss Move Over Law." Wednesday marks the 11th anniversary of the death of Trooper Ted Foss. Under the law, motorists traveling on a road with two or more lanes must keep over one full lane away from stopped emergency vehicles that have flashing lights activated. Drivers must reduce speed if they are unable to safely move over a lane.

State traffic deaths are on pace for steep slide

Star Tribune, August 27, 2011

The state Department of Public Safety reported 208 fatalities on state roads as of Friday, down from 253 at the same time a year ago.

Appleton, Minn., driver cited for speeding 134 mph

Star Tribune, August 9, 2011

During a July campaign to crack down on speeding, authorities issued 21 tickets to drivers racing more than 100 miles per hour.

Crash data: Women injured at higher rates than men

Minnesota Public Radio, July 27, 2011

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi wasn't at all surprised to hear that men accounted for less than half of all reported traffic injuries in Minnesota last year. According to a recent University of Minnesota survey of chiropractors, more than 60 percent of people seeking care were women.

Ignition device added tool to curb drunken driving

Associated Press, July 4, 2011

For over a year, Zachary Glaros hasn't been able to start his car without blowing into a tube to prove he's sober. The device took some getting used to, he said, but with three DWIs on his record, it was better than getting his license cancelled for two years.

'Maroon Day' ends with two road fatalities, State Patrol says

Star Tribune, July 1, 2011

A special one-day enforcement campaign that put every state trooper out on patrol Thursday yielded 2,502 traffic stops and 22 DWI arrests, the State Patrol said Friday.

State Patrol to roam in full force

Star Tribune, June 30, 2011

Every sworn officer, even the chief, will patrol Thursday on what has been the year's deadliest day on state roads over the past decade.

Minnesota agencies join forces to curb traffic deaths (subscription required)

Duluth News Tribune, June 15, 2011

A state effort to reduce traffic deaths and injuries is stepping up its efforts in the Northland.

Minnesota raising the stakes for drunken drivers

Star Tribune, May 30, 2011

On July 1, tougher punishment will become law, targeting people such as Paul Garay, recently jailed on his 20th DWI.

In fatal crashes, often only a ticket

Star Tribune, May 22, 2011

Many careless drivers who take a life face just a misdemeanor.

Researchers Aim to Make Roadsides Safer for Officers

KSTP-TV, May 12, 2011

Researchers with the University of Minnesota are trying to figure out why so many law enforcement personnel and their vehicles are being hit on the side of the road.

Cars to demand proof of sobriety

Star Tribune, April 7, 2011

A new Minnesota law to kick in this summer will mandate breath-testing devices in the vehicles of thousands of drivers with DWIs.

Americans are driving more, but traffic deaths down

USA Today, March 31, 2011

Traffic fatalities in the U.S. fell to an all-time low in 2010 even as Americans drove more miles, according to new projections by the federal government. It's too early to explain why deaths keep falling, says Lee Munnich, director of the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota. "Some of the credit can go to federal and state efforts to reduce fatalities," more states toughening seat belt laws "and the effect on fatalities as more people buckle up," he says.

Road trippers may be soon able to plot safest route online

USA Today

Savvy trip planners who line up the best hotel, resort and restaurant deals before they hit the road soon could add another feature to their itinerary: the safest highways en route. An interactive website from the University of Minnesota's Center for Excellence in Rural Safety that allows drivers to plot fatal crashes on a map is very popular. SafeRoadMaps.org was founded in 2008 and received more than 10 million hits by mid-2010, says center director Lee Munnich.

Study: Driving Tired is Like Driving Drunk

Wired, January 24, 2011

Prolonged nighttime driving can be just as hazardous as driving drunk, according to European researchers who examined the impact of fatigue on performance behind the wheel. The researchers estimate that as much as 20 percent of vehicle accidents in industrialized countries can be attributed to fatigue.

Safe Cab program rolls forward in Pine County

The Pine City Pioneer, January 18. 2011

A profile of Pine County's Safe Cab program, which has increased in popularity over the past few months, and contributed to a drop in DWI arrests from 168 in 2008 to about 120 in 2010.

Website aims for fewer fatalities on roads

Star Tribune, January 4, 2011

Deaths on state roads are projected to reach about 420 for 2010, a number nearly identical to the 65-year low a year earlier, the state Department of Public Safety announced Monday. Now, honoring the story behind each fatality – and the teachable moment that comes with many of them – the agency also has created a Minnesota Crash Victims Memorial website to put faces to names and to try to further shrink the carnage on state roads.

State: Traffic deaths in 2010 mirror 2009's historically low total

Star Tribune, January 4, 2011

Deaths on Minnesota's roads appear to have held steady in 2010 compared to 2009, when the lowest annual total since 1944 was recorded.

A projection from the state Department of Public Safety released Monday says that the final traffic fatality figure for last year should be about 420. There were 421 in 2009. A confirmed figure for 2010 will be announced several months from now, once the department collects additional fatal crash reports.

AAA Urges Holiday Revelers to Pledge to Not Drink and Drive

AAA Minnesota/Iowa, November 22, 2010

As Americans ready for Thanksgiving and seasonal festive parties, AAA rolls out a viral Take the Pledge campaign aimed at encouraging motorists to commit to drive drug and alcohol-free during the holidays and all year long.

Southern counties lag behind in seat-belt usage

Faribault Daily News, November 12, 2010

Seat-belt usage statewide is increasing, but counties in southeastern Minnesota — Rice County included — still lag behind.

Tougher laws, safer cars: Fatal crashes involving teen drivers fall by a third over 5 years

Star Tribune (Associated Press), October 21, 2010

Fatal car crashes involving teen drivers fell by about a third over five years, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that partly credits the drop to tougher state limits on younger drivers.

Officials Crack Down on Speeding

KAAL-TV (Austin, MN), September 20, 2010

The Olmsted County Sheriff's Department, the Rochester Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol are partnering to alert speeding drivers to the dangers of speeding by handing out cards that outline the effects of driving too fast, with a photo of a woman and her son who were killed by a speeding driver.

Number of people killed on roadways falls to lowest level in 6 decades

Star Tribune, September 9, 2010

The number of people dying on the nation's roads has fallen to its lowest level in six decades, helped by a combination of seat belts, safer cars and tougher enforcement of drunken driving laws.

Toward Zero Deaths program wins national award

Mn/DOT Newsline, September 8, 2010

TZD was named a recipient of the 2010 Exceptional Performance Award by the American Public Works Association (APWA). This award was given for TZD's outstanding contributions in the areas of safety and public awareness.

"Receiving this award is a testament to the dedication of multiple traffic safety partners across the state working toward one vision—zero deaths,” said Sue Groth, TZD co-chair and Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology director. “While we have made great progress since the inception of the TZD program, there are still too many people dying on our roadways."

More News Headlines

Safe Communities Newsletter

Safe Communities of Minnesota is a monthly e-mail newsletter created by Amy Roggenbuck, Community Health Liaison for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety–Office of Traffic Safety. It highlights Safe Communities initiatives throughout the state.

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