Latest news with #TowardZeroDeaths
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Serious-injury, fatal crash rates rising on roads of southwest Minnesota
May 16---- The roads of southwestern Minnesota are not living up to the friendly reputation of the people who make the rural area home. Rates of fatal crashes and of crashes that cause serious injury, per mile driven in the region, exceed the averages for Greater Minnesota overall as well as statewide averages. Serious-injury and fatal crash numbers are increasing at a greater rate than the rest of the state as well, according to information highlighted at the Southwest Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths conference conducted Wednesday at Prairie's Edge Casino Resort at the Upper Sioux Community. "Going in the wrong direction in the last few years," said Max Moreland, traffic safety crash data engineer with the The southwest region showed a 1.14 fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles over the past five years, the highest in the state and well above the statewide rate of 0.75 and also higher than the 0.92 rate for the Greater Minnesota area outside of the eight metropolitan counties. The rates are based on data through 2024. Moreland said the southwest region has seen big jumps in both fatal and serious-injury crashes on both its state highways and county roads. The Southwest Toward Zero Deaths region includes the counties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Swift and Yellow Medicine. Last year, the region recorded 31 fatalities on its roads. It has experienced 18 so far in 2025. Statewide, fatal and serious-injury crashes are trending upward as well. The state as a whole recorded at least 479 fatalities on its roads last year, according to preliminary numbers from the state Department of Public Safety. It's recorded 110 deaths already this year, indicating it is likely to exceed a goal set by Toward Zero Deaths of holding the number of deaths in 2025 to 225, according to Moreland. The information comes as Minnesota soon enters what is known as the 100 busiest and deadly days on its roads, the summer driving period between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays. Fatal crash numbers in the southwest region have bounced around in previous years. The numbers dropped during the COVID pandemic but spiked immediately after traffic volumes returned. Serious-injury crash numbers have risen steadily. "It almost looks like a staircase going straight up every year," Moreland said while pointing to a graph showing the rise. "It's a problem that is not fixing itself." The southwest data had some encouraging news. The number of crashes involving motorcycles and speeding were down a little bit, he said. Safety plans for the region target distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and intersections as priorities. Around 90% of severe crashes in the region involved some aspect of excess speed or inattentive driving, according to Moreland. One hundred percent of crashes have at least one of these factors involved: Speed, inattention, intersections, lane departures, impaired driving, and unbelted drivers or passengers, according to the presentation. Crashes involving impaired drivers, unbelted drivers and intersections have been rising while those involving inattention have held steady and speed-related crashes have declined some. One of the goals of Toward Zero Deaths is to improve the driving culture, according to Moreland. While safety professionals have long worked to improve individual driver behavior, they will now focus more on changing the culture by leveraging the vast majority of safe drivers as allies in the effort, he said. Just as societal views toward tobacco use have changed, traffic safety professionals hope to promote positive changes in how driving conduct and practices are viewed, he explained.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fatal crash rates rising for older drivers in Minnesota
May 16---- Older, experienced drivers are catching up with younger, inexperienced drivers in a race where no one wins. "The reality is, the number of seniors dying on the roads is going up," Joanie Somes told an audience Wednesday at the Southwest Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths conference at the Prairie's Edge Casino Resort. The Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program works to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and deaths on Minnesota roads. Somes is retired from a 40-year career as an emergency nurse. She is working with the to call attention to the rise in serious injuries and deaths to drivers age 60 and over. In 2007, Minnesota recorded 510 deaths on its roadways, with 102 of the victims being age 60 and over, or 20% of the total, according to the presentation. Preliminary state Department of Public Safety numbers for 2024 show Minnesota experienced 479 deaths, with 166 of the victims age 60 and over, or 35% of the total. Since 2019, seniors have been dying on the roads at the same proportion as younger drivers are, according to Somes. Young, inexperienced drivers have historically been disproportionately involved in fatal and serious-injury crashes. The rise in the number of seniors dying in traffic crashes is attributed largely to the growing numbers of older drivers on the road. Many baby boomers are now seniors, and they will continue to represent a large share of total drivers for years to come. The last baby boomer turns 80 in 2040, Somes pointed out. It's also believed that seniors are driving more today than in the past. Somes, who is 72, said 19% of people her age are still in the work force. There are plenty of other factors keeping seniors on the roads as drivers. Alternative transportation may not be available where they live. They may be called upon to transport grandchildren. Their fellow seniors who no longer drive may rely on them. Somes travels the state speaking to emergency responders, law enforcement and others about the factors that make seniors vulnerable to being in crashes. There is the obvious: "Our body just does not function as well" as we age, she said, adding that older adults lose strength and flexibility, and their vision declines. Cognitive ability can decline too. The physical and cognitive changes are reflected in slower reaction times. It takes seniors eight seconds longer than millennials to react to information displayed on an in-vehicle screen, she said. Seniors are also more likely than young drivers to have medical conditions or take medicines that can affect their driving performance. The risk of death is higher for seniors when they are involved in serious-injury crashes. The risk that a serious injury can result in death increases 3% with each year after age 65, according to Somes. Difficulty in judging the distance of oncoming traffic at intersections and not seeing other vehicles when making lane changes are two of the most common reasons seniors are involved in crashes, according to Somes. Three of five fatal crashes for older drivers, or 63%, occurred at intersections or interchanges. She also pointed out that seniors are less likely to own vehicles that have the latest in safety technology, or, in many cases, they elect to turn some of the features off. She urges seniors who are experiencing declines in their driving capabilities to reduce their driving times and to choose routes and times that are less congested. Somes also told the audience that there are many opportunities for older drivers to improve their driving skills, from exercising to participating in educational programs. Importantly, she encourages seniors to "retire" from driving when their physical or cognitive abilities decline to unsafe levels. She also encourages communities to do more to provide transportation alternatives to allow seniors to remain independent without driving. Resources on older drivers is available through the website:
