Posted at: 11/13/2009 10:46 PM
By: Jill Kasparie

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Preventing Driving Deaths

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- We are heading into the most dangerous time of year on the roads.

Law enforcement officers across the state are stepping up patrol on Minnesota’s roadways.

With two months left in the year, they've got an ambitious goal to keep the number of traffic fatalities to an all time low.

Mother of two, crystal Brawdy, knows first hand what it's like to see life flash before your eyes.

"About four and a half years ago, I barrel rolled my car three times…I had just dropped my son off for daycare and I hit a patch of black ice," Brawdy said.

Winter weather and holiday travel are just a couple reasons roads become more dangerous at the end of the year.

"We’ve got Thanksgiving coming up and Christmas and December is typically one of our deadliest months on the road," said MnDot’s Kristine Hernandez.

So this year, the Toward Zero Deaths Coalition is trying to reach a milestone.

Keep the fatalities on our roads under 400, something that hasn't happened since 1944.

So far, we're at 353.

"We are going to step up enforcement with state patrol and rochester police and put extra man power out on the road, especially over the weekend," said Olmsted County Sheriff’s Department’s Sgt. Vincent Scheckel.

Officers agree that 400 deaths along Minnesota roadways is an ambitious goal, but they even hope for much less than that.

"We don't want any deaths, our goal is eventually zero deaths," Scheckel said.

 Officers want residents to follow examples like Brawdy.

"We always wear our seat belt, always always, that's the first thing we do when we get in the vehicle, we sing a little jingle,” Brawdy said.

“Everybody get your seatbelts on,” she sang.

It’s a silly song that could save a life.

Officers also ask you to slow down, pay attention and limit the use of cell phones.

Officers said that the state's new seatbelt law is contributing to a lower number of fatalities this year.