Besides the Buffalo Police Department, other agencies such as; Wright County Sheriffs Office, Wright County Public Health Department, Allina Health Systems, and area school districts joined together on this project.  The first year consisted of research and data collection to determine the concerns that the group should concentrate on.  It was decided that the two areas of concern for Eastern Wright County would be the 55 mph speed zones and the young, inexperienced drivers.  Two separate teams were created to develop ideas on how to address these concerns. 

The strategy plan was to focus on interventions that included education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical management.  The teams felt that education was an area that they could do a lot with.  Public Service Announcement were aired on radio stations and seen on billboards.  Signs giving messages such as “Concentrate on driving - Crashes aren’t accidents” were purchased and placed in strategic locations.  Flyers, buttons, and window clings were distributed.  Featured articles appeared in the Drummer and the Pioneer Press.  The Youth Team created a handbook and a presentation for parents and their teenager enrolled in the drivers education program at the local schools.  Two school districts Buffalo and St. Michael immediately made the presentation mandatory for their students enrolled in drivers education.  Positive reinforcement, such as coupons for gas from local merchants has been given to students that “are caught” wearing their seat belts. 

After the original funding ran out, all the members involved felt the program should continue and additional funding was found through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.  This program has become a lead model for other communities in Minnesota.  In the year 2000, Safe Communities of Wright County expanded to include Monticello and Annandale.  

Safe Communities of Wright County (SCWC) is a non-profit collaborative that has just celebrated its 11^th Anniversary.  SCWC was formed in 1997 as a collaborative effort focused on reducing crashes in Wright County, Minnesota, through safety education and prevention.    Buffalo Police Department has partnered with Safe Communities of Wright County since its conception.  Officer Ridley has been an active member of Safe Communities and is a presenter in their Driver’s Education Parent-Teen Presentations. In 2007, 375 students and over 400 parents attended the Buffalo Parent-Teen presentations.

Parents are a huge influence on their child’s driving habits.  Of young drivers that received speeding tickets, 73% of their parents had previously received a speeding ticket.  For every speeding ticket a parent gets, their child’s chances of getting a speeding ticket increases by 13% (Fox 9 News.)  In the last ten years Safe Communities of Wright County has been helpful in reducing the number of fatal and severe injury crashes in Wright County by 38%, despite the county population increase of over 30% in that same time period.

 Safe Communities not only provides educational courses to young drivers and parents, but also to citizen’s who receive minor traffic violations, through their Drive Wright Classes.  The spring of every year Safe Communities sponsors a “Buckle Up” Challenge, which Buffalo Schools, including Wright Technical Center participate in.  Both Buffalo High School and Wright Technical Center have won this countywide competition in the past.

Safe Communities of Wright County sponsored Officer Ridley at attending the National Traffic Safety Conference in March of this year, which was held in Chicago, IL.  Valuable information was learned at the conference in hopes of bringing new ideas to be shared with the drivers in the Buffalo area.  Buckle up and drive safe, as your life depends on it.