Dept. of Transportation: Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety highlights the strength of collaboration to prevent crashes on Wisconsin’s roads

Everyone has a role in making sure our roads are safe. The 2024 Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety brought together traffic safety professionals, advocates and community members to focus efforts on preventing fatal crashes and serious injuries on our roadways.

The annual conference, held this week in Wisconsin Dells, was hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Safety.

“The Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety is critical to our efforts to build a safer, stronger Wisconsin,” Gov. Evers said in an address to attendees. “Our goal is to bring together ideas from government, advocacy and private industry to find new ways to improve safety on our roads. My administration continues to make safety a top priority and support the work that helps keep our roads and communities safe.”

Presenters looked ahead to the latest technologies and best practices to protect road users. They focused on collaborative efforts using the Safe System approach to empower individuals and organizations to put safety first. Educational sessions and demonstrations covered a variety of topics, including law enforcement strategies, crash response and traffic incident management, engineering solutions, and data analysis.

“Transportation safety is an integral part of our culture as an agency,” WisDOT Deputy Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “We strive to ensure safety is deeply ingrained in everything we do – across all divisions and areas of expertise. We also rely on the support of our partnerships to maintain a safe and efficient transportation system for the people of Wisconsin.”

Law enforcement and community partnerships were a key focus at the conference as attendees shared ideas and best practices to stop dangerous driving behaviors that put motorists, pedestrians and all road users at risk.

“To reach our goal of zero deaths on Wisconsin’s roads, safety has to be everyone’s top priority,” State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan said. “A safe transportation system is essential to public safety. If we push forward together, we can create a strong and consistent culture that values the health and safety of everyone on the road.”

Driver behavior is one of the most significant factors that contributes to crashes in Wisconsin:

• About 3,000 people are injured by a reckless driver every year.
• Impaired driving is involved in more than a quarter of all traffic fatalities.
• About 10,000 crashes involve distracted driving annually.

The Bureau of Transportation Safety, part of the Wisconsin State Patrol, provides safety program and policy analysis, leads WisDOT’s public outreach on safety issues, and offers technology services to Wisconsin law enforcement agencies.