We still see crashes where people should have survived.”

Minnesota Department of Transportation Scot Edgeworth

Hastings Police blocked off Sibley Street and opened their doors on Tuesday, May 13 for their open house as part of Police Week in Hastings. The event showcased the equipment across Hastings Fire Department, Police, and Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, allowing residents to get up close and personal with fire trucks, boats and police cars.
Buzzing overhead of the event was one of Dakota County’s drones along with the county’s van specially equipped for drone flight. Residents were able to see inside the van which has several television screens able to project the 8k video streamed from the drone.
While resident familiarity is a point of focus for the event, it was also an opportunity for education. East Metro Coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Transportation Scot Edgeworth let residents test out the seat belt convincer,” a device that showcases the importance of seatbelts even at low speeds.
The device, which is seat and seatbelt mounted to a ramp, gets up to 5-7 miles per hour before slamming to a halt which allows residents to feel the force that is built up even at such nominal speeds. And to editorialize for just a moment, that force is surprisingly strong.
Driving safety and seatbelt usage have been a key concern in Minnesota since the pandemic where the number of fatalities rose after a long downtrend. Seatbelt use is one way to increase the odds of survival.
“We still see crashes where people should have survived,” said Edgeworth.