Red Lake Department Of Public Safety Reaches Goal

The Red Lake Department of Public Safety reported zero fatalities on reservation roadways this year.

In a press release, the Red Lake Department proudly announced there have been zero deaths on reservation roadways from October 1st, 2015 to September 30th, 2016.  There are 675 miles of roadway on the reservation.

A grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Highway Safety Program is funding two full-time traffic safety officers to help move Red Lake to a ‘Zero Deaths’ stance.

The Department is also working with the Red Lake Reservation Code Committee ‘to improve community safety on tribal roadways.’

One  change that took place on the reservation roadways, was the adoption of a primary seat belt law. According to a press release, officers were not allowed to enforce seat belt violations unless the driver was being pulled over for a moving traffic violation.  Now, officers can fully enforce seat belt laws.

Due to stipulations through BIA funding, the department implemented the traffic safety mobilizations “Click it or Ticket”, “Don’t Drink and Drive” and “Don’t Shatter the Dream.”