TZD Tuesday - Rural Road Safety Week

Rural road safety is a concern, as more than half of all traffic-related fatalities occur on rural roads. Rural roads are considered areas that have a population of fewer than 5,000 people. Some Minnesotans might think that fewer people would mean fewer traffic fatalities, but according to MN Crash Facts, in 2020, 251 people were killed and 6,175 were injured on rural roads in Minnesota – this accounts for 63 percent of fatal crashes statewide. Speed was frequently cited as a factor in these crashes.

Rural Road Safety Awareness Week (RRSAW) is an annual national campaign from the National Center for Rural Road Safety and funded by the Federal Highway Administration. It focuses on raising awareness of rural road safety issues and educating rural road safety professionals. The campaign runs July 18 through July 22 and will feature daily themes highlighting several new hot topics that have recently emerged in road safety.

• Monday: What’s Unique About Rural Road Safety?
• Tuesday: The Safe System Approach for Rural Roads
• Wednesday: Proven Safety Countermeasures for Rural Roads
• Thursday: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Rural Road Safety
• Friday: The Intersection of Rural Road Safety and Public Health

Risky driving behaviors including speed contribute to rural road fatalities. Please take every opportunity to talk to your friends, family and co-workers about the importance of driving smart. Together we can move Minnesota toward zero deaths!