The 2017 Nevada Traffic Safety Summit was held on May 23-25 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. An annual gathering of traffic safety partners, industry professionals, educators, and advocates, Summit attendees met to discuss the challenges of traffic safety with respect to the ever-changing world around us. This year’s focus was to share best practices and ways we can work together to achieve a “Better Nevada Down the Road.” Approximately 250 representatives of the five “E’s” of traffic safety (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Emergency Medical Services, and Everyone) attended this year’s safety summit.
Multiple training sessions and discussions were held Tuesday afternoon including National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Training, Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician Training, a Young Drivers Critical Emphasis Area (CEA) Forum, Northern Nevada Pedestrian Safety Workshop, and the Motorcycle Safety Forum. Motorcycle safety expert Stacey “Ax” Axmaker (Be Crash Free, LLC) took his group outside for a braking and maneuvering demonstration on his motorcycle. A community event followed, providing free child passenger safety seat checks, and an opportunity to try out the impaired driving simulation goggles from Drunk Busters while maneuvering a pedal cart on a test track. Bill and Connie from the “Bill and Connie Morning Show” on Alice 96.5 broadcasted live from the event!
Wednesday kicked off with a “call to action” from key leaders in Traffic Safety: Director Jim Wright (Dept. of Public Safety); NDOT’s Deputy Director Bill Hoffman; RTC Washoe Executive Director Lee Gibson; NDOT’s Chief Traffic Safety Engineer Ken Mammen; Office of Traffic Safety Administrator Amy Davey; and Nevada Highway Patrol Chief Colonel Dennis Osborn. Breakout sessions followed including Vision Zero, Marijuana Impaired Driving, Traffic Records/Crash Data, Pedestrian Safety, Child Passenger Safety, and a bicycle training ride outdoors. The Summit Keynote featured Chris Halsor, Nevada’s Rural Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor and Marijuana Impaired Driving expert.
Thursday’s sessions included panel discussions on TIM and updates on Nevada traffic-safety related legislation, and concluded with the Strategic Highway Safety Plan awards luncheon.
Thank you to all who attended the 2017 Nevada Traffic Safety Summit and a special thank you to our sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers for making the event a great success! For more information including presentations from the 2017 Nevada Traffic Safety Summit, please visit safetysummitnv.com.