Focus on Safe Driving During the Summer Travel Season

The 100 deadliest days on Minnesota roads are upon us as the summer travel season gets underway this holiday weekend.

While summer is a time for fun activities and vacations, it’s also an important time to focus on safe driving. The stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day last year accounted for 121 of the 358 fatalities, making up 34 percent of all the traffic deaths in 2017.

Driver behaviors continue to play a significant role in motor vehicle crashes. So as you hit the road this summer, remember: put away the distractions, slow down, buckle up, drive sober. Extra seat belt enforcement is on Minnesota roads now.

Give in to Peer Pressure: Buckle Up

As teenagers, we were all warned about peer pressure. Adults told us never to just go along with the crowd. But sometimes, the crowd is right – like the 92 percent of Minnesotans who wear their seat belts.

Peer pressure isn’t the only reason to wear a seat belt, though. Consider that being buckled up during a crash is likely to save not only your life, but the lives of the other people in the vehicle. And besides, it’s the law.

Extra enforcement will be out on Minnesota’s roads through June 3.

Learn more about the great reasons you should buckle up in our latest blog.

For Emergencies, Hope Isn’t a Plan

Hope is good, but it’s not a plan. The people of Superior didn’t know when they left for school and work the morning of April 26 that they would have to evacuate their homes before the end of the day because of the refinery fire.

But it’s safe to say that those who had emergency kits packed, a family emergency communications plan in place, and who knew where to take temporary shelter had an easier time of it.

Learn how to plan now so you and your family have a better chance of surviving and recovering from a disaster.