RENO, NV – Last month, the annual Nevada Traffic Safety Summit welcomed 390 first responders, transportation and safety officials, and media to the Silver Legacy Resort & Casino in Reno to discuss best practices and strategies for a variety of traffic safety issues. Throughout the three-day event, attendees were invited to hear from national traffic safety experts on how the industry is responding, witness live traffic safety demonstrations, and panel discussions including:
- Commercial Crash/First Responder Demonstration: A live, hands-on demonstration presented by first responders, offering a step-by-step walkthrough of the decision-making process following a commercial crash, response to injured victims (actors) and provide hand training and safety tips.
- Keynote Luncheon featuring guest speaker The Honorable Thomas Chapman, Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
- Joining Forces Press Conference: Joining Forces, a state-wide multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program, announced its Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaign, which ran from Nov.11 to Dec. 1.
“Nevada’s roadways are a shared responsibility, and it is important to remember that any traffic fatality is an unnecessary loss of life,” said Office of Traffic Safety Public Information Officer Anita Pepper. “The Nevada Traffic Safety Summit is a chance for some of the state’s brightest minds to come together and work towards our goal of reducing the number of roadway fatalities to zero.”
As the event drew to a close, some of the state’s most outstanding individuals and organizations within the traffic safety world were honored at an award ceremony presented by Andrew Bennett, Director of the Clark County Office of Traffic Safety. Award winners included:
- Enforcement Officer of The Year: Sgt. Lay Hixon, Nevada Highway Patrol
- Educational Implementer of the Year: Jeremy Tafelmeyer, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
- Impact Award: Atlas Towing
- Program of the Year: Washoe County Juvenile Traffic Unit
- Project of the Year: Oddie/Wells Corridor Multimodal Improvements, Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County
- Transportation Professional of the Year: Hao Xu, University of Nevada, Reno
- Impact Award: Peter Vander Aa, Office of Traffic Safety (Retired)
- Leadership Award: Ami Irby, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office
For additional information on the Nevada Traffic Safety Summit, please visit https://zerofatalitiesnv.com/.
To learn more about Nevada traffic safety, log on to www.zerofatalitiesnv.com. Follow Zero Fatalities on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Zero Fatalities
Nevada’s Zero Fatalities Program is all about eliminating fatalities on Nevada roadways. Some people may think zero is an impossible goal, but when it comes to your family and friends, what other number would be acceptable? We’re aiming for zero because everyone matters. The road to zero targets key behaviors like buckling up, being pedestrian and motorcycle safe, eliminating impaired driving, focusing on the road, and stopping on red.
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Media Contacts
Anita Pepper, Public Information Officer
State of Nevada | Department of Public Safety | Office of Traffic Safety
a.pepper@dps.state.nv.us
Meg Ragonese, Public Information Officer
Nevada Department of Transportation
mragonese@dot.nv.gov
Terri Maruca | Alden Tseng
Kirvin Doak Communications
ZFPR@kirvindoak.com
