FOR UPCOMING MEETING DATES, PLEASE VISIT THE CALENDAR TO YOUR RIGHT.

MISSION   

The mission of the Rice County Safe Communities Coalition is to move Rice County toward zero deaths on our roads. Funded with a TZD (Toward Zero Deaths) Safe Roads grant, our coalition uses education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency services to increase the use of safety restraints and reduce the number of deaths on our county’s highways and roads.

FOCUS

In the first grant year, the Coalition built a membership of 13 agencies representing public health, law enforcement, medical providers, county attorney’s office, school districts, county engineer, and fire department.  A Fatality Review Committee with six members was established to review and evaluate all fatalities in Rice County in order to make recommendations for ways to educate drivers to prevent future crashes. Rice County was named #8 on the list of the 13 Deadliest Counties for Impaired Driving Counties for 2006-2008. The top two traffic safety issues identified by the crash facts for Rice County are:

• Impaired driving
• Improper use of safety restraints/helmets

ACTIVITIES

Now in the fourth grant year (October 2009-September 2010), the Coalition seeks to build on successful efforts from year one and implement additional activities to directly address the top two traffic safety issues in the community.  Some planned activities are:

• Host Coalition Meetings every other month
• Schedule a Fatality Review Committee within one month of any traffic fatality
• Participate in the Southeast Minnesota Safe Communities Toward Zero Death Coalition
• Submit monthly reports to the State of Minnesota, Office of Traffic Safety
• Enact and carry out 5 approved work plan activities:

High Visibility campaign conducted in conjunction with law enforcement/MOD Squad

Court monitoring program

Collaboration to improve enforcement at liquor establishments

Local government education

Designated pilot project:  alcohol screening and prevention

MEMBERSHIP LIST 2009-2010

ARTICLES, RESOURCES, & LINKS

For more information about the Rice County Safe Communities Coalition, please contact:

Kathy Cooper, Coordinator
Rice County Safe Communities Coalition
TZD Safe Roads Grant
507-319-3245
kathy.cooper0215@gmail.com