For years the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day has been known in traffic safety circles as the 100 Deadliest Days on the Road.

It’s time to turn this timeframe into the 100 SAFEST Days on the Road!

Working together, we have the opportunity to make this happen. Each of us and our organizations can help turn the tide on this continued epidemic of summer months’ crashes that adds up to the great period of crash-related deaths and injuries on our state’s roadways. A growing percentage of these tragedies are tied to impaired driving which we define as any activity that prevents your mind, your eyes and your body from being fully engaged in the critical act of driving.

I hope by now you’ve had a chance to check out our exciting new impaired driving campaign which launched right before Memorial Day. I’m just delighted by the response from business leaders, the traffic safety community, the media and others across the state and their commitment to turning the tide.

We know there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to traffic safety education, so we’ve pulled together a wide range of tools you can select to meet the needs of your employee team and share information with others through your website, social media accounts and more. Be sure to check the campaign resources page. You’ll find educational tools, newsletter articles and a series of really fun videos that underscore the need for all drivers to rewind impaired driving behaviors.

And speaking of social media, don’t forget to follow our Minnesota NETS Facebook feed and our LinkedIn page. We’ll be featuring 100-plus posts from now through Labor Day. Like them and share them. It’s up to all of us to convert this increasingly risky period into the 100 Safest Days on the Road.

Don’t forget, eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, mind on driving!