Expand the sections below to see complete session details and presentation materials from the conference. Presentation slides are posted with speaker permission; not all sessions have slides available.
You can also download a printable version of the program (PDF).
Tuesday, October 22
8:30−9:45 a.m. • Conference Opening Session
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Honor Guard
Deputy Megan Kiffmeyer, Stearns County
Deputy Brian Theisen, Stearns County
Trooper Cody Kisor, Minnesota State Patrol
Trooper Jeremiah Lund, Minnesota State Patrol
Speaker
Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Opening Plenary: The Human–AI Partnership—Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Intelligence for Highway Safety Communication
Speaker
Steve Schmidt, Owner, EnhancedXP.com
In a time of rapidly advancing technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has been changing the way we work together, communicate, and solve difficult problems. This presentation explored the evolving relationship between human intelligence and AI, highlighting how our combined efforts could revolutionize highway safety communication. It examined real-world examples of AI tools and demonstrated how they can be applied by engineering, EMS, and law enforcement to educate, improve communication, streamline processes, and ultimately save lives.
Materials
10:15−11:30 a.m. • Concurrent Sessions 1–8
Session 1: New Findings and Recommendations from NTSB Recent Crash Investigations
Moderator
Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speaker
Leah Walton, National Transportation Safety Board
Prior to the conference, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had recently completed various roadway crash investigations involving speeding, impairment, teen driver safety, and bridge maintenance. Each of these investigations yielded safety recommendations that could be implemented in Minnesota to improve roadway safety. Attendees heard about these and other relevant topics such as speeding and drug impairment (North Las Vegas, NV), bridge collapse (Fern Hollow, PA), and teen driver safety and youth cannabis impairment (Tishomingo, OK).
Materials
Session 2: Automated Vehicle Technology for All Emergency Responders
Moderator
Sgt. Jesse Grabow, Minnesota State Patrol
Speakers
Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator
Tom Nixon, KLJ Engineering and Deerwood Fire Department
Time is of the essence when dealing with emergency situations, especially when a life is at risk. Emergency responders need to understand how automated vehicles (AVs) work and how to handle various types of emergency situations involving an active AV. The goal of this session was to provide a basic understanding of AVs and their operation along with guidance on interacting with an AV involved in an emergency situation.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 3: Distracted Driving Enforcement in Commercial Motor Vehicles
Moderator
Lt. Charles Backes, Minnesota State Patrol
Speakers
Trooper Dave Lindell, Minnesota State Patrol
Trooper John Ophoven, Minnesota State Patrol
Danielle Osborne, Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office
There is an alarming trend of distracted driving and phone use in commercial motor vehicles. This session offered an in-depth look at what’s happening every day among commercial vehicle drivers on Minnesota's roadways. Attendees learned about the technology in the trucks, distraction trends, enforcement techniques, and courtroom testimony, and received tips for crash investigations involving possible distracted drivers.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 4: Minnesota Regional Local Road Traffic Safety Workshops
Moderator
Girma Feyissa, Office of State Aid, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Speakers
Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Howard Preston, Independent Contractor
Richard Storm, HDR, Inc.
In this session, presenters gave a condensed overview of the full-day workshop covering traffic safety, funding opportunities, and other key topics. The goal was to highlight Minnesota's local road safety challenges—which had been exacerbated by a 7.5 percent increase in fatal and serious injury crashes since the COVID pandemic—and offered solutions. MnDOT's response includes 24 statewide safety workshops from June 2024 to May 2025 that aim to educate local engineers and planners involved in traffic safety work. This session highlighted local road safety strategies and funding options to achieve Minnesota’s goal of zero traffic fatalities.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 5: Show and Tell Me About Those New Car Seats—Panel #1
Moderator
Allison Nicolson, Essentia Health
Speakers
Daniel Dias, Dorel Juvenile Products
Vera Fullaway, Safe Traffic Systems
Tony Jerisha, KidsEmbrace
Bob Wall, Nuna Baby
In this session, attendees learned about new car seats and their features, and manufacturers demonstrated on stage.
Materials
Session 6: Toward Zero Deaths, Rural EMS, and Telemedicine
Moderator
Ann Jenson, Southwest Minnesota EMS
Speakers
Jennifer Kirchner, Murray County Ambulance Director
John Krohn, Wabasso Ambulance Director
Rebecca Vande Kieft, Avel eCare
The panel discussed how telemedicine advances Toward Zero Deaths objectives for rural EMS.
Materials
Session 7: A Crash Course in Vehicular Homicide Law
Moderator
Becky Putzke, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speaker
Bill Lemons, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Vehicular homicide is one of the more common and violent types of homicide, and these crimes cover a wide spectrum of culpability. In this session—which was designed to help motivate everyone working these cases—attendees learned about the possibilities, challenges, and consequences. The session also offered tips and advice for law enforcement and prosecutors.
Materials
Session 8: DRE—Report Writing, Search Warrant Application, and Courtroom Testimony
Moderator
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
Speaker
Amy Tripp-Steiner, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office
In this session, participants learned the ins and outs of writing solid reports, including how to provide proper probable cause to ensure search warrant approval as well as how to properly testify in court during drug DWI cases. Participants also heard about the proper dynamics and process for these topics.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
1:30−2:45 p.m. • Concurrent Sessions 9–16
Session 9: Safe System Approach in Minnesota
Moderator
Nicole Bitzan, SRF Consulting Group
Speakers
Ken Johnson, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Olivia Polinsky, HDR, Inc.
Kristi Sebastian, Federal Highway Administration
The Safe System Approach (SSA) is the FHWA’s endorsed approach for reaching a target of zero deaths on US roads. The SSA prioritizes the elimination of crashes that result in death and serious injury, using a holistic and multi-faceted approach that focuses on both human mistakes and vulnerability. This session described the SSA and the many FHWA resources and tools for supporting agencies in SSA implementation, including the Safe System Roadway Design Hierarchy, the SSA for the Urban Core Informational Report, the SSA for Speed Management, and the Safe System-Based Framework and Analytical Methodology for Assessing Intersections. Additionally, MnDOT provided an overview of its action plan for integrating the SSA into its established programming and project delivery process.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 10: Born to Stand Out—Emergency Response to a Patient with Autism
Moderator
Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator
Speaker
Joshua Chan, Glacial Ridge Health System
Pediatric patients can be the most challenging for clinicians because of their size and the frequency of contact. These situations are already complex, but even more so when the patient has difficulty communicating and is autistic. Challenging communication, impaired social skills, interruption of routines, and sensory overload can make a routine transport highly demanding. This session covered the common characteristics of autism and offered ways to individualize the assessment and treatments to help reduce stress for the clinician and patient.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 11: Safe Roads Grants and TZD Coalition Information Sharing
Moderator
Duane Siedschlag, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speakers
Sgt. Geoff Dowty, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office
Emily Frustol, Otter Tail County Toward Zero Deaths Coalition
Allison Nicolson, Essentia Health/Driving for Safe Communities Toward Zero Deaths Coalition
Several active Safe Roads grantees plus the OTS grants coordinator discussed the Safe Roads grant—how to apply, what the coalitions are doing, community engagement strategies, and what worked and didn't work. Group discussion was encouraged.
Materials
Frutsol's presentation slides (PDF)
Nicolson's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 12: Traffic Safety Education and Edification—Telling Your Story Through the Media
Moderator
Kristine Hernandez, Statewide TZD Communications and Marketing Director
Speaker
Steve Linders, The Axtell Group
This presentation provided practical, proven, and actionable strategies and tactics attendees could use to educate Minnesotans and inspire safe driving habits. It included three areas of focus: media relations, story development, and pitching and placing stories.
Materials
Session 13: Show and Tell Me about Those New Car Seats—Panel #2
Moderator
Jasmine Wangen, Altru, Northern Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Liaison
Speakers
Paul Albright, Peg Perego
Courtney Barry, Chicco
Scott McAllister, Diono
Claire Smith, Joie
Sarah Tilton, Britax
In this session, attendees learned about new car seats and their features, and manufacturers demonstrated on stage.
Materials
Albright's presentation slides (PDF)
Barry's presentation slides (PDF)
Smith's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 14: Teens Toward Zero Deaths—Safeguarding Lives Through Traffic Safety and Mental Health Education
Moderator
Sue Johnson, Northwest Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Speakers
Sue Johnson, Northwest Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Thief River Falls and Goodridge Key Club students
Attendees heard from teens working together to change traffic safety culture and bring awareness to mental health in an effort to eliminate teen deaths from traffic crashes and suicides. They also received an update on the Minnesota Impact Teen Drivers program that was implemented statewide in 2023.
Materials
Johnson's presentation slides (PDF)
Students' presentation slides (PDF)
Session 15: Legal Update
Moderator
Bill Lemons, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speakers
David Bernstein, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office and Minnesota DWI Taskforce
Amy Tripp-Steiner, Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office
This session covered legislative changes that affect DWI and traffic safety laws and reviewed important court decisions from the last year. Attendees got a preview of the next legislative session, potential legislative initiatives, and past legislative efforts. The panel discussed other court-related matters, ongoing changes to Minnesota's marijuana law, and much more.
Materials
Session 16: DRE—Xylazine and Common Trends
Moderator
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
Speaker
Trooper Elliott Lesser, Minnesota State Patrol
This session took participants through today’s emerging drugs. For example, the horse tranquilizer Xylazine that has been making its way across the United States and can now be found in Minnesota. Participants also learned more about rising trends in our society.
Materials
3:15−4:30 p.m. • Concurrent Sessions 17–24
Session 17: From Statewide Planning to Project Implementation—Combining Engagement and Analysis to Improve Roadway Safety
Moderator
Hannah Johnson, Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Speakers
Tim Burkhardt, Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Nick Grage, Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Vic Lund, St. Louis County
Whitney Mason, Office of Transportation System Management, Minnesota Department of Transportation
In the move toward zero deaths, good data and analysis are necessary but often insufficient to understand and address safety needs. In this session, two agencies highlighted their approaches to combining technical information with stakeholder engagement to impact safety. Speakers shared the the preliminary draft of Minnesota's updated five-year Strategic Highway Safety Plan as well as gathered input on focus areas, priorities, and strategies through live polling. Attendees heard about a unique approach to a safety project that St. Louis County took, hearing about the process of integrating engineering analysis with stakeholder engagement and focusing on educating about, rather than defending, engineering decisions.
Materials
Session 18: From Concept to Action—Building Your Human-AI Toolkit for Highway Safety Communication
Moderator
Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Speaker
Steve Schmidt, Owner, EnhancedXP.com
This interactive workshop gave participants a deeper look at the AI concepts and tools introduced in the keynote presentation. Through a combination of demonstrations and group discussion, participants learned how to pinpoint communication challenges in their own work for which AI could make a meaningful difference. They also received tips for navigating the growing landscape of AI tools and platforms to select those tools most suitable for their specific needs and resources. Steve showed participants how to craft effective prompts to get the most out of AI language models, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, for drafting safety messages, summarizing complex data, brainstorming new communication strategies, and even writing grants.
Materials
Session 19: ATV MN—Get to Know the Organization
Moderator
Rahya Geisler, Northeast Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Speaker
Chris Conroy, ATV Minnesota
ATV MN is the state association representing 70 ATV clubs and ATV riding families across Minnesota. It promotes safe, responsible ATV riding and provides ATV clubs with the tools they need to build ATV trails for the riding public that are fun and sustainable while protecting natural resources. In this session, attendees got to know ATV MN and the leaders across the state, including where the groups are and what is going on in the ATV world.
Materials
Session 20: Partnership with the Media Case Study
Moderator
Kristen Oster, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speakers
Nathan Berg, Independent School District 577
Dave Boxum, Office of Communications, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Lt. Brian Reu, Minnesota State Patrol
A scary violation was captured on a school bus stop-arm camera. This session to discussed how partnering with the media helped bring this case to a successful conclusion. Attendees also heard about the value of stop-arm camera grant communications and other examples of social media’s effectiveness in getting the the public’s help in a crisis.
Materials
Boxum's presentation slides (PDF)
Reu's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 21: Compliant, Non-Compliant, and Unregulated Products
Moderator
Tara Helm, Minnesota Safety Council
Speaker
Joe Colella, Traffic Safety Projects
This session presented an overview of what CPS technicians need to look for to determine if a car seat meets the US FMVSS 213 standards and all safety regulations.
Materials
Session 22: Beyond the Wreckage—A Multi-Disciplinary Look at Injury Severity
Moderator
Sgt. Jesse Grabow, Minnesota State Patrol
Speakers
Kristi Engelstad, Sanford Ambulance
Brad Estochen, Ramsey County
Katy Kressin, West Central Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Deputy Allen Mekash, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office
Deb Syverson, Sanford Health
This panel discussion brought together law enforcement, EMS personnel, hospital staff, and engineers to shed light on the complexities of classifying injury severity at a crash scene. Through real-world scenarios, attendees explored the unique perspectives of each responder and how they assess injuries, ultimately piecing together a comprehensive picture of the situation.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 23: Tribal Safety Efforts
Moderator
Renae Kuehl, SRF Consulting Group
Speakers
Michael Bowman, White Earth Nation Tribe
Matt Knight, SRF Consulting Group
Tracy Olson, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Tribal governments in Minnesota have been working to address safety concerns within their communities by developing safety action plans and using various funding opportunities. Collaboration with state and local agencies has been helpful in building relationships and consensus on safety needs. Representatives from the White Earth Nation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation shared their experiences and the unique safety challenges that tribal governments face.
Materials
Olson's presentation slides (PDF)
Group presentation slides (PDF)
Session 24: DRE—Micro-Dosing
Moderator
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
Speaker
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
This session provided participants with an inside look at micro-dosing. From Joe Rogan to Elon Musk, micro-dosing has become a common practice among celebrities and their followers. What does this mean for traffic safety? Attendees joined this session to find out.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Closing Remarks
Moderator
Major Jeff Huettl, Minnesota State Patrol
Plenary Session: A Sixth Sense of Humor and a Mother's Perspective
Speakers
Elias Youngblom, Personal Impact Speaker
Tracy Youngblom, Author and Elias’s mother
On March 16, 2015, a wrong-way impaired driver changed a college student’s life. Since then, Elias Youngblom has learned to live a full life with a sixth sense of humor. His mother, Tracy, also shared her perspective on the crash, how it affected her and the Youngblom family, and the memoir she has written to help her cope.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
9:45−11:00 a.m. • Concurrent Sessions 25–32
Session 25: Culture of Safety
Moderator
Brooke Ahlers, Life Link lll
Speaker
Kaitlyn Roach, Life Link lll
This interactive, conversation-based session was designed to equip attendees with tangible ways to influence implementation of a culture of safety both within their organization and with other departments they work alongside of. Safety is often seen as a set of rules, but it should be a mindset. This session focused on the concept that responder safety starts with a mindset shift.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 26: The Unseen Impact of Impaired Driving Crashes
Moderator
Scot Edgeworth, East Metro Toward Zero Deaths Regional Coordinator
Speakers
Nadav Cassuto, Minnesota Department of Health
Anna Gaichas, Minnesota Department of Health
Veronica Hawman, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Lauren Johnson, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Sgt. Kyle Puelston, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office
Presentations from speakers covered the topics of education, injury, and survival from impaired driving crashes. They discussed prevention methods that included learning your limits, distractors in common driving conditions, and the power of victim voices and involvement. It’s not just a crash; attendees walked away with a new perspective to help create safe communities where we live, work, and play.
Materials
Mothers Against Drunk Driving presentation slides (PDF)
MnDot presentation slides (PDF)
Puelston's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 27: Aging and Driving—A Risky Intersection and a Kit to Decrease Risks
Moderator
Annette Larson, Statewide TZD Program and Operations Director
Speaker
Dr. Joan Somes, Minnesota Emergency Nurses Association
A program aimed at increasing older driver safety in Minnesota has resulted in a toolkit of materials that can be used for seniors, their families, law enforcement, and other stakeholders interested in this issue. This “train-the-trainer” session discussed why aging and driving should be of concern and reviewed the resources available for download in the toolkit.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 28: Successful Safety Assessment Projects
Moderator
Bryant Ficek, Metro District, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Speakers
Jennifer McCoy, Bolton and Menk
Sarina Praseedom, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Collin Schroeder, SRF Consulting Group
Safety is an important measure that can be assessed in a variety of ways, both proactively and reactively. This session highlighted one project looking forward toward future enhancements and one project looking back at implemented improvements. The TH52/I-94 study in St. Paul used the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) to predict the safety implications of unique solutions. The Hwy 316 study in Hastings compared crashes and other aspects before and after corridor changes. Both methods will help inform future safety work.
Materials
TH52/I-94 presentation slides (PDF)
Hwy 316 presentation slides (PDF)
Session 29: CPS Brainteasers 2.0
Moderator
Nichole Korth, Regions Hospital
Speaker
Vera Fullaway, Safe Traffic Systems
Stephanie Heitsch, Safe Kids and State Farm
This interactive, individual, competitive game setting reviewed basic essential CPS concepts with a little trivia for tiebreakers using the Kahoot platform.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 30: Road to Self-Care—Mental Health, Fatigue, and Driving
Moderator
Mary Erickson
Speaker
Lisa Kons, Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, Minnesota Safety Council
Drivers experiencing strong emotional agitation (sadness, anger, anxiety, etc.) are 9.8 times more likely to be involved in a crash. Stressed drivers accelerate and brake more frequently and intensively than other drivers—and often drive at high speed, overtake other vehicles, and fail to stop at crosswalks. This session reviewed how taking care of and making time for your mental health and sleep can keep you and your employees safe on the road.
Materials
Session 31: Steering DWI Clients Toward Help
Moderator
Nick White, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speakers
Rachael LeRette, DWI Court & SBIRT Program Coordinator
Duane Siedschlag, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
One in seven Minnesotans has a DWI on record, and 41 percent of DWI offenders are arrested for a subsequent offense. To combat this problem, the courts in Duluth, Minnesota, began offering SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) at arraignment/first appearance to defendants charged with a first-time DWI. Results from a multi-year process, outcome, and cost evaluation conducted by NPC Research show that SBIRT reduces DWI recidivism and overall criminal recidivism—and has saved taxpayers $4.9 million since it was implemented in 2014. This session shared information about the SBIRT program generally, reviewed evaluation findings, and gave suggestions on implementation in other jurisdictions.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 32: DRE Category Refresher—Dissociative Anesthetic, Inhalants, and Hallucinogens
Moderator
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
Speaker
Trooper Gustavo Culbeaux, Minnesota State Patrol
This session provided participants with a refresher on Minnesota's most uncommon DRE categories. With the current increase in mushrooms, PCP, and similar substances, participants got a refresher on the DRE categories and learned what law enforcement is seeing in Minnesota.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. • Concurrent Sessions 33–40
Session 33: Advisory Council on Traffic Safety—Recent Successes and How You Can Get Involved
Moderator
Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Speakers
Catherine Diamond, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Vice Chair, and Section Manager, Injury and Violence Prevention Section, Minnesota Department of Health
Mike Hanson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Chair, and Director, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Brian Sorenson, Minnesota TZD Program Co-chair, ACTS Vice Chair, and State Traffic Engineer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
In this session, attendees learned about the work of the Advisory Council on Traffic Safety (ACTS). ACTS was established during the 2023 legislative session to improve traffic safety for all users on all Minnesota roads. In the last year, the Council has convened traffic safety leaders on critical discussion topics, distributed approximately $12M in funding, and created the Roadway Safety Information Center, a one-stop shop that integrates and analyzes traffic safety data from multiple E’s. This session discussed successes, upcoming activities, and how you can get involved.
Materials
Session 34: Preventing the Worst—Understanding the Dangers Pedestrians Face and Doing Something About It Before They Walk Out the Front Door
Moderator
Renae Kuehl, SRF Consulting Group
Speakers
Loren Hill, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Sophia Kalow, Office of Transit & Active Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Sonja Piper, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Will Wlizlo, Active Transportation Coordinator, Office of Transit & Active Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Long before cutting a check to rebuild their transportation infrastructure, communities can implement a variety of strategies and resources to enhance the safety of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. This multidisciplinary presentation from MnDOT staff demonstrated how to interpret research and analysis on traffic conflict and risk factors to proactively identify problematic locations and roadway designs. Loren Hill presented recent findings related to pedestrian crashes and Sonja Piper unpacked the Vulnerable Road User High Injury Network analysis. Programmatic functions of the state’s Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation programs also offered preventive measures to increase community safety. Sophie Kalow and Will Wlizlo shared how MnDOT uses education, community action planning, and demonstration infrastructure to teach essential skills to vulnerable users, build groups of engaged local transportation safety champions, and inexpensively test traffic calming concepts in context.
Materials
Hill's presentation slides (PDF)
Piper's presentation slides (PDF)
Kalow and Wlizlo's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 35: The Critical Role of Probation and DWI Courts in Preventing Impaired Driving Recidivism
Moderator
Nick White, Office of Traffic Safety, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Speakers
Kurt Hoehne, Corrections Agent and State Probation/Parole Outreach Liaison, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Laura Koktavy, Corrections Agent and State Probation/Parole Outreach Liaison, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Maria Lafriniere, Wellness Court Coordinator, White Earth Tribal Court
Minnesota Department of Corrections agents Laura Koktavy and Kurt Hoehne are working as state probation/parole outreach liaisons on a first-of-its-kind grant project between the Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Safety. The project aims to serve as a statewide resource for probation and parole agencies and other members of the highway safety community dealing with cases of impaired driving. The grant will help agencies reduce impaired driving recidivism using best practices in the form of education, training, guidance, and provision of a liaison between probation/parole and the highway safety community. This session explained the rollout of what Laura and Kurt have worked on and offered information on providing a consistent means of supervision statewide for impaired driving offenders. Maria Lafriniere, Wellness Court coordinator, also presented on DWI and treatment courts.
Materials
Hoehne and Koktavy's presentation slides (PDF)
Lafriniere's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 36: Traffic Incident Management (TIM)—Responder Safety
Moderator
Tony Kasella, Regional Transportation Management Center, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Speakers
Lt. Andrew Martinek, Minnesota State Patrol
Trooper Eric Ouellette, Minnesota State Patrol
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of traumatic death for police, fire, EMS, and tow operators. This TIM training shared best practices to improve safety for crash victims, responders, and other vehicles on the road.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 37: Transporting Superheroes
Moderator
Sheila Denton, SCEMS, Southern Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Liaison
Speaker
Dex Tuttle, Minnesota Children’s Hospital
For families who have kids with "superpowers," regular travel in retail car seats can be tricky, and finding help in their home communities isn't always easy. Even for CPSTs who have completed the Safe Travel for All Children (STAC) course, these interactions can feel overwhelming if they are not a frequent occurrence in their work. This session was designed for CPSTs, even those who have not completed STAC, and provided tips and tricks to hopefully make these interactions smoother.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 38: From Traffic Control to Critical Incident—TZD Teamwork Saves a Deputy
Moderator
Katy Kressin, West Central TZD Regional Coordinator
Speakers
Brian Boser, Pierz Fire Department
Sgt. Joel Gross, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office
Gabrielle May, Mayo Medical Ambulance Service
Forest McMahan, Mayo Medical Ambulance Service
Heather Nixon, LifeLink lll
Sgt. Doug Rekstad, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office
Scott Saehr, Pierz Fire Department
This session took attendees on a journey from a seemingly ordinary traffic control detail to a critical incident. They witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by a Morrison County deputy when a routine traffic control assignment took a dramatic turn. The session also explored the perspectives of various TZD partners as they responded swiftly and collaboratively to the deputy's injuries—and examined the critical role interagency cooperation plays in saving lives.
Materials
Presentation slides are not available for this session. Please reach out to the speakers for further information.
Session 39: Now You Know the Rest of the Story
Moderator
Derek Leuer, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Speakers
Nathan Drews, Office of Traffic Engineering, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Lt. Kelly Mager, Minnesota State Patrol
Obtaining quality data from traffic crashes is essential to understanding and improving traffic safety. Crash reports are not just for insurance companies! In this session, attendees learned how these reports are used by law enforcement officials, engineers, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Materials
Drews' presentation slides (PDF)
Mager's presentation slides (PDF)
Session 40: DRE—What Agencies Need to Know to Properly Utilize Their DREs
Moderator
Sgt. Tyler Milless, Minnesota State Patrol
Speakers
Officer Jesse Mathwig, Maple Grove Police Department
Officer Jaren Zech, Edina Police Department
This session provided participants with the "need-to-know" information to take back to their departments on how to best use Drug Recognition Evaluators. The new ARIDE requirements and discuss the future of the DRE program were also discussed.