A local television station did a story on speeding tickets in the 7 county Metro Area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you want to see the full story you can go to kstp.com, but one mention in the story caught my attention. The story reported that the Minnesota State Patrol has issued 41% less speeding tickets, but has increased the citations for Seat Belt use. The story says that is one main reason that traffic deaths in Minnesota is at lowest point since 1944.

As I thought about it I thought there are many other factors at work in the safety on Minnesota Roads and I want to use the blog to get that information out there. Since aaa is an auto recycler that has been in business for 28 years, we have seen the drastic changes in automobiles over that time. I have my thoughts on the top 5 reasons that go along with Seat Belt usage (it probably is the #1 reason for safety if they are used) for the reduction in traffic deaths.

1. Air Bags. The introduction in SRS systems that are designed to work in conjunction with the seat belts have done an incredible job in keeping occupants safe in vehicle crashes. Not only are the number of airbags in vehicles increasing with each model year release, but the places they are installed in vehicles is just plain great engineering.
2. High Strength Steels – The auto industry has made the occupant areas of vehicles out of high (no very high) strength steels that are so very rigid that they stay intact while in crashes and transfer the collision energy to other parts of the vehicle.
3. Drunk Driving awareness. The MADD and SADD chapters have helped the awareness of drunk driving and the dram shop laws that forced bars and restaurants to train their staff on serving alcoholic beverages. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that in 2010 about 1/3 of all traffic accidents involving a fatality, also involve alcohol.
4. Motorcycle safety. Here in Minnesota the helmet law is only applicable to riders under the age of 18 or riders with an instruction permit, but you will notice on the roadways that more riders are wearing helmets than are not.
5. Gas Prices & Behavior changes.   I know it seems like the easy thing these days to blame, but if you follow the logic – I think it does contribute to a reduction in traffic deaths. As gas prices increase more people turn to Mass Transit options to “save money.” I think there is also a bigger squeeze on the younger drivers, who tend to make less money and thus have less money to spend on higher gas. If the younger drivers are off the road the statistics for fatalities will follow. Less young drivers on the road will bring the numbers down because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for persons between the ages of 3 – 34.