Roadway Serious Injuries
About the measures
Safety on the roadways is MnDOT’s priority. Measuring serious injuries helps MnDOT plan for safer roadway conditions. The number of people who were seriously injured resulting from crashes involving a motor vehicle in a 12-month period. The number of serious injuries is classified by first responders at the scene of the accident.
Recent trends
In 2022, 1,910 people were seriously injured on Minnesota roadways, which is the highest since 2018. The 2020-2024 SHSP set an aggressive target of no more than 980 serious injuries by 2025.
Where we want to go
MnDOT seeks to eliminate injuries for transportation users on Minnesota roadways through several strategies. The Minnesota Strategic Highway Safety Plan sets overall direction for future safety strategies and presents a framework for selecting strategies. Through the State Aid programs, MnDOT partners with local government units (e.g., cities and counties) to fund and develop road safety initiatives and plans. For roadway design, MnDOT incorporates a Safe System Approach that builds multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes from happening and minimize harm to people involved in crashes when they occur. Additionally, MnDOT provides traffic engineering training courses to county, city, and private professionals on a variety of road safety topics including lighting design, pavement markings, and work zone traffic engineering.