Transportation safety leaders and advocates gathered this week in Wisconsin Dells for the 50th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety, hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). The event focused on collaborative efforts to improve highway safety with a shared goal of zero preventable deaths on Wisconsin’s roads.
“It is essential to keep transportation safety a top priority all across Wisconsin. Our longstanding partnerships with local communities and safety advocates allow us to work collectively toward this goal,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “This conference gives us the opportunity to collaborate and share new ideas. Together, we can find ways to prevent crashes, maintain a safe transportation system and improve the lives of everyone in our communities.”
Presenters highlighted the latest technologies and best practices to protect road users. Educational sessions and demonstrations covered a variety of topics, including law enforcement strategies, crash response and traffic incident management, engineering solutions, and data analysis.
WisDOT’s Division of State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety has hosted the conference for 50 years, focusing on collaboration between law enforcement and community partners to stop dangerous driving behaviors that put motorists, pedestrians and all road users at risk. It’s developed over the years to meet evolving transportation needs and priorities, now centering around the Safe System approach, which empowers individuals and organizations to collectively work together to eliminate serious crash injuries.
“Over the past 50 years, the Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety has been a crucial meeting point where federal, state, county, Tribal and local transportation safety advocates find solutions to our shared challenges,” State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan said. “Working together goes beyond enforcement and education. Our partnerships will get us closer to zero deaths on Wisconsin’s roads.”
Crash trends continue to be a concern across the state. Wisconsin lost 576 people in traffic crashes in 2024. Driver behavior is one of the most significant factors that contributes to crashes. WisDOT works to continually educate the public on transportation safety and encourages everyone to put safety first when behind the wheel, follow speed limits, avoid distracted and impaired driving, and always wear a seat belt.
The Governor’s Conference on Highway Safety concluded with a special appearance by former Green Bay Packer Donald Driver, longtime supporter and spokesperson for WisDOT’s Click it or Ticket and Buckle Up Phone Down campaigns.
