PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Although Native Americans comprise only 3 percent of the population of North Dakota, they experience 15 percent of the state's traffic crash fatalities. The majority of these motor vehicle crashes occur on Reservation roadways. In an effort to improve traffic safety on Reservation roads, members of the Native American Injury Prevention Coalition developed the Community/Corridor Traffic Safety Project in 1996.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Community/Corridor Traffic Safety Project was to identify specific roadways on four North Dakota Reservations with a high incidence of fatal motor vehicle crashes. Targeted Reservations included the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT), Turtle Mountain, Spirit Lake Dakota Nation and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. After dangerous roadways were identified, a set of recommendations for their improvement was to be developed for submittal to the Tribal Council. Recommendations such as targeted hazard elimination and improved traffic safety programs for presentation to Reservation residents would be included.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Under the guidance of the Safe Community program, coalition members conducted a series of surveys on roadways identified as high-incident. Crash reports for these roads were then reviewed to gather details including time of day of crash, weather conditions, number of people involved and probable cause of the crash. Involved drivers and passengers were then interviewed, when possible.

RESULTS As a result of the Community/Corridor Traffic Safety Project, significant traffic safety problems were identified on Reservation roadways. The following recommendations have been presented to each Tribal Council: Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT): Replace Four Bears Bridge Update TAT Motor Vehicle Code Implement a Seat Belt Awareness Campaign Provide supplemental training for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Turtle Mountain Request that North Dakota Department of Transportation (ND DOT) conduct a traffic engineering study to identify and eliminate road hazards Spirit Lake Dakota Nation Request a traffic safety survey by ND DOT Initiate impaired driving prevention program Develop Crash Reporting Form Assign EMT personnel to log all crash information Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Request resolution of support from the Native American Injury Prevention Coalition for Highway #63

FUNDING   Section 402 (FHWA): $10,000 CONTACT     Dennie Renville Executive Director Native American Injury Prevention Coalition United Tribes College 3315 University Drive Bismarck, ND 58504 (701) 255-3285