Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) is a Minnesota interagency partnership led by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation in cooperation with the State Patrol, the Federal Highway Administration, Minnesota county engineers, and the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. The TZD mission is: “To move Minnesota toward zero deaths on our roads, using Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and Emergency Services.”

Towards Zero Deaths was the focus of a Safe Communities of Wright County Public Service Campaign targeting drivers on Highway 55 (from Medina to Buffalo). Highway 55 is one of the most traveled two-lane roadways in Minnesota. In 2003, the 55 Corridor stretching from Buffalo through Wright County to Medina in Hennepin County was identified by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as a major area of concern, owing to the large number of crash-related injuries and fatalities that occur on it.

Focus groups conducted by SCWC and MN crash data identified three major issues in driver behaviors attributing to crashes: tailgating, unsafe passing, and distracted driving. The campaign featured safety messages on billboards, a direct mail series to homes and businesses along the corridor, Highway 55 Survival Guides, “No Tailgating” bumper stickers and roadway identification signs. Safe Communities of Wright County works directly with the East Central MN Towards Zero Deaths staff. It’s a great partnership!