What: Tribal leaders, traffic safety professionals, stakeholders and community members will gather on March 25-26 for a free summit to discuss prevention strategies and raise awareness about crash-related injuries and deaths affecting Minnesota’s Tribal communities.  

Tuesday highlights include:  

• 11 a.m. concurrent sessions  
  • Sex Trafficking & Traffic Stops (Minnesota Room) 
  • School Bus Safety — Beyond the Basics (Hazel Creek Room) 

• 3:40 p.m. traffic safety panel (Minnesota Room)  
  • Impairment and speed continue to be a concerning issue on tribal lands. Hear how Tribal nations are collaborating to address these and other issues. 

Wednesday highlights include:  

• 9 a.m. Bureau of Indian Affairs update (Minnesota Room) 

• 9:45 a.m. concurrent sessions 
  • Impact Teen Driver Program (Hazel Creek Room) 
  • Safe System Approach (Minnesota Room) 
  • Power of Partnerships for Pedestrian Safety in Indian Country (Yellow Medicine Room) 

WHO:   The Minnesota departments of health, public safety and transportation are partnering with Minnesota Indian Affairs Council to offer the summit. The three state agencies make up the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) program, which focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes: enforcement, engineering, education and emergency medical and trauma services. 

WHY:    Traffic safety continues to be an important issue for the Tribal nations. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for Native Americans nationwide, and in Minnesota, Native Americans are  overrepresented in traffic fatalities, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).