Toward Zero Deaths Statewide Conference in St. Cloud This Week

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Hundreds of professionals from across Minnesota and some border states are in St. Cloud this week to promote traffic safety.

The Toward Zero Deaths Conference is bringing officials from law enforcement, health care, education, and engineering to the River's Edge Convention Center.

TZD spokeswoman Kristine Hernandez says the goal is to share ideas, collaborate and work to reduce the number of deaths caused by traffic crashes.

She says the speakers and work shops range from using Artificial Intelligence to public outreach.

Hernandez says they also look at safety priorities for each season of the year...

We'll go into snow and ice mode coming up soon, but we will also prepare in the spring for work zone safety and motorcyclists. Pedestrians in the fall become a concern for us because it gets darker sooner. We look at all sorts of seasonal influences on traffic safety as well.

Last year there were 409 traffic-related fatalities, down from 444 in 2022. However, Hernandez says we have had 50 more fatalities so far this year, compared to this time in 2023.

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Source: Toward Zero Deaths Statewide Conference in St. Cloud This Week

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