In an annual report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Minnesota was found to have the 10th lowest rate of injury in the country. This is a great sign and a testament to strong consumer protection laws and a civil law system that protects the average person.
It was noted that Minnesota scored high because:
Minnesota’s rate of injury-related deaths of 51.2 per 100,000 people is lower than the national rate of 57.9 per 100,000. The total lifetime medical costs due to fatal injury in Minnesota were $31.3 million.
“Minnesota has primary seat belt laws,” said Amber Williams, executive director of the Safe States Alliance. “But there is not a universal helmet law in the state for motorcycle riders, and that is one area Minnesota can look to improve its laws.”
As always, these kinds of reports should be hailed as very good news, but they also should be reviewed to figure out what can be done to make things safer. What is being done in the top states of California and New York who received the highest score of nine out of a possible 10?
Together we can work to make Minnesota even safer.
