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2008 News Stories

Safe Cab Program Cutting Down On DWIs

WCCO, December 30, 2008

In the past year, Isanti County has cut its DWI arrests by nearly 40 percent, with the help of its Safe Cab program.

Anoka High School takes second in teen traffic safety competition

USDOT Fast Lane Blog, December 9, 2008

Anoka High School was awarded second place and a $2000 grant in a nationwide competition that challenged teens to develop ad campaigns that will help spread the message of traffic safety to their peers, sponsored by the US Department of Transportation and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS).

Anoka High School’s Get the 411 on Teen Drivers! Stay Connected! Save Teen Lives! campaign focuses on graduated licensing and seatbelt laws. The school hosted Teen Driver 411 week, during which they made presentations to four Driver’s Education programs along with AAA. Anoka High School, Anoka, Minnesota

Read full announcement on the USDOT Fast Lane blog.

Nurses urge 'ounce of prevention' on Minnesota's traffic laws

Star Tribune, November 20, 2008

Stricter rules for the road could save lives and reduce injuries, which saves money, the Emergency Nurses Association said.

The Emergency Nurses Association released its 2008 scorecard of traffic safety in a St. Paul conference room with vivid views of Interstate 94 and the State Capitol. The group is hoping to persuade the Legislature to save lives -- and lots of money -- by beefing up the rules.

Rumble strips are raising grumbles

Star Tribune, November 9, 2008

Seen as a way to improve safety along rural highways, they have instead sparked noise complaints from residents and fixes by the counties that installed them.

Two Minnesota counties' recent installations of rumble strips along rural highways have prompted noise complaints from residents. To address the problems, Carver County filled in the rumble strips along 10 miles of Highway 10. Instead of filling in the strips, Wright County moved the edge of the fog line in about 8 inches along 2,900 feet of curved roadway along Hwy. 35 east of Buffalo.

Despite the problems, both counties said they will continue to use the rumble strips, especially along straight roadways. They also will look for ways to minimize the problems in other areas, especially if there are homes nearby.

A cell phone call, then a scream, then silence

Star Tribune, October 15, 2008

A 21-year-old motorist getting directions over her cell phone was killed when she rolled her vehicle in Stearns County.

The state reports that distraction played a role in at least 15 percent of all fatal crashes during 2005-07, resulting in 240 traffic deaths. Another 1,163 motorists suffered life-altering injuries as a result of distracted-driving crashes in this same period.

Minnesota cracking down on seat belt use

Minnesota Public Radio, October 11, 2008

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is coordinating a 10-day period of stepped-up enforcement of seat-belt use. The crackdown began Friday and continues through Sunday, Oct. 19.

From 2005 through 2007, more than half of the 1,200 vehicle occupants killed in Minnesota were not wearing seat belts - and nearly 1,300 unbelted motorists were seriously injured in crashes.

Crash Facts now available for 2007

Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, 2008

In 2007, 510 motorists were killed and 35,318 injured on Minnesota's roads. These facts and more can be found in Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2007, now available from the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. The publication compiles and analyzes crashes that occurred on the state's roads last year, including such details as location, time, cause, and whether alcohol was involved or seat belts worn.

Hennepin County touts initial success of DWI court

Star Tribune, August 18, 2008

The court targets people who are likely to repeatedly drink and drive. From StarTribune, August 18, 2008

New online road safety mapping tool

CERS researchers have developed a new, visually innovative tool that maps out roadway fatalities across the nation ... and in your community.

Toward Zero Deaths in Minnesota

American Public Works Association, July, 2008

Almost everyone knows someone who has been in a serious traffic crash. From APWA Reporter, July, 2008.

New Rural Safety Information Resource

The Rural Highway Safety Clearinghouse is a new, easy-to-use starting point for information about safety on our nation's rural roads.

Site of fatal I-94 crash on Wednesday was scheduled to get median cable barriers

Star Tribune, May 23, 2008

A pickup truck crossed a Stearns County Interstate median where a highly touted safety upgrade awaits installation and slammed head-on into a semitrailer truck, killing the pickup's driver, authorities said Thursday. From Star Tribune, May 23, 2008.

Wisconsin rules reduce teen driving deaths

Star Tribune, May 4, 2008

A decision eight years ago by Wisconsin to limit passengers and nighttime driving for teens has paid off. Minnesota's Legislature is weighing similar measures. From Star Tribune, May 4, 2008.

Traffic deaths in state decline

Star Tribune, April 29, 2008

Traffic fatalities in Minnesota cracked the triple-digit mark over the weekend, the Department of Public Safety reports, and the state is on pace to have fewer deaths on the roads than for any year since the 1940s. From Star Tribune, April 29, 2008.

Median cable keeps wayward semi from hitting oncoming traffic

Star Tribune, May 22, 2008

For more than a quarter-mile, a wayward semitrailer truck was held on its side of the busy interstate by steel median cables, sparing motorists heading in the other direction. From Star Tribune, March 26, 2008.

Think congestion is costly? Consider vehicle crashes

Minnesota Public Radio, March 7, 2008

If you're upset with traffic congestion, you may want to get upset with something that's more costly—namely traffic crashes. A new national study done for AAA finds the Twin Cities ranks eighth out of 26 comparable cities in the cost of vehicle crashes. From Minnesota Public Radio, March 7, 2008.

Stopping teen deaths on the road

Star Tribune, February 7, 2008

No other state has a higher percentage of fatal crashes in which teenagers are the drivers. Now, even the young drivers say it's time for Minnesota to tighten laws and update its driver's education. From Star Tribune, February 18, 2008