As you read this, the 2025 Major League Baseball playoffs are underway and the World Series is just ahead. It’s no spoiler to say that our own Minnesota Twins are not part of the excitement. But there’s always next year!
As fans nationwide look back on the 2025 season, there are lessons to be learned for us as traffic safety professionals. Teams that led the pennant race much of the season suddenly collapse. Others come from behind and post unexpected victories.
We’re experiencing something similar when it comes to safety on Minnesota roads. Just a few weeks ago, we saw a winning season on the horizon with year-to-date crash deaths down 20%, the result of lots of hard work. Yet suddenly what looked like winning streak collapsed as a dozen people died on roadways across our state in the final six days of September including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and a bicyclist.
It’s a reminder that our challenge and our traffic safety season hasn’t ended and won’t until we reach our ultimate goal of zero crash deaths.
At the same time, we have a lot of great “plays” to celebrate so far this year, for example:
- Minnesotans continue to buckle up. Seat belt compliance has reached an all-time high of 95.2%, the fourth consecutive increase and the best rate since 2010. That’s great news, but we still need to up our game to make that number 100%. That’s especially true for men and young adults, both demographics where use declined slightly.
- Coordinated by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), our Minnesota traffic law enforcement all-stars – state troopers, county deputies and local officers – participated in the Click It or Ticket weeklong seat belt and child passenger safety effort.
- The Minnesota Safety Council teamed up with OTS, the Minnesota State Patrol and the Maple Grove Fire Department for a media event promoting Child Passenger Safety Week and Click It or Ticket. The event drew statewide media coverage, including all Twin Cities television news outlets. It was capped by advocate Jennifer Starkson’s compelling story of the life-saving importance of car seats used correctly every ride. You can watch the news conference here.
While baseball season, and those of other sports, eventually ends, ours as traffic safety educators and advocates is ongoing. We can’t and we won’t open the celebratory bubbly until we post the ultimate winning score – ZERO crash deaths.
Yours in traffic safety,
Lisa
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