by Scott DCamp
Reporter
Northwest Minnesota is no longer last among Minnesota’s eight regions when it comes to seat belt usage.
According to Mike Hanson, captain of the Minnesota State Patrol District 3200, the northwest region’s seat belt usage is almost 76 percent based on a survey this spring – up from 74.6 percent in 2013 and 73.9 percent in 2012.
The region’s neighbors to the south, the west central region, came in a couple of percentage points lower around 74 percent.
While improved seat belt use is a cause for celebration, the Northwest Region still ranks first among the eight regions in fatalities per vehicle-mile traveled.
Using data from the Fatal Accident Recording System, District 3200 had a rate of 1.00 fatalities per hundred million miles traveled. In Hennepin County the rate was 0.33 and in the West Metro 0.42.
“You are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash in Pennington County than Hennepin County,” said Hanson during Tuesday night’s Pennington County Board meeting.
Joining Hanson was Lou Tasa, Minnesota Department of Transportation district engineer.
Hanson said seat belt usage is nothing but a habit. He gets the civil liberties side of it, but stressed that the preventable injuries that occur when seat belts aren’t worn become a county social services problem and eventually a tax-payer problem when insurance limits are reached.
Seat belt use is a big component in the state of Minnesota’s progress toward zero deaths but it isn’t the only area of focus. Hanson said the TZD program focuses on five Es – educators, engineers, EMS, enforcement and everybody (else).
On the education front, Hanson gave a lot of credit to drivers education instructors and requirements for parents to attend portions of drivers education with their child. Parents learn about graduated drivers licences and that the number one killer of teens and young adults age 16 to 24 is automobile accidents.
Hanson also credited highway engineers, noting that some of the most effective solutions come from engineers.
Tasa recognized Pennington County Engineer Mike Flaagan, and his wife Jodi Flaagan, for taking a leadership role in the TZD program.
Tasa also noted that within the region, several roads now feature centerline rumble strips which are intended to alert drivers prior to crossing the midline. More intersections are lighted and chevrons are being placed on roads with sharp curve.
The lighting and use of chevrons are intended to keep drivers from running off the road, which is the number one type of crash.
Regarding seat belt usage, Tasa said someone once said they should be called lifebelts rather than seat belts. In 68 percent of fatalities, the driver or passenger was not wearing a seat belt (32 percent were) and 80 percent of those who survived automobile crashes wear seat belts (and 20 percent do not).
Hanson and Tasa concluded their presentation with crash photos to demonstrate the effectiveness of seat belt use. The first was of a car that collided with farm implement. Hanson said the young woman walked away from the crash shaken up – rather than impaled – because her seat belt held her in place.
The second photo was a photograph of a pickup truck that rolled. The driver, who was belted, survived but the unbelted passenger was ejected and killed.
The third photo was of a two car collision. The driver of the first car was belted but the passenger in the back seat, was unbelted, flew four feet forward upon impact. Both the driver and passenger were killed when their heads collided. The driver of the car they collided with was belted and walked away from the collision.
The final photo was of a pickup that collided head on with a car. Both passengers in the pickup were unbelted, with one suffering fatal injuries and one suffering critical injuries. Meanwhile, all three passengers in the car were belted and walked away from the crash.