Slow down and be safe.

That was the message Lynn Spainhower, Safe Communities Coalition coordinator, urged during Tuesday’s county board meeting.

As part of the Toward Zero Deaths initiative, the county named July Speed Awareness Month. One main message behind the campaign is that speeding is a key contributor to many traffic crashes and deaths.

“It’s all about reducing deaths on our highways and our county roads,” Sheriff Terese Amazi said.

Overall deaths on Minnesota roads are trending down, which Spainhower said is a sign the initiatives are working. The goal is to get to zero deaths on Minnesota roads by 2030.

The Safe Communities Coalition’s main goal is to bring awareness to safety concerns on Minnesota roads.