GRAND FORKS – Preliminary 2025 numbers show a possible positive trend in traffic safety throughout North Dakota. Vision Zero, a safety strategy program in partnership with the Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation, has been working to eliminate traffic fatalities caused by seatbelt nonuse and may now be seeing its efforts begin to pay off.
The primary seatbelt law in North Dakota was passed in 2023.
Traffic fatalities the next year dropped to 89, the lowest number in 24 years.
“We have seen a dramatic decrease. To go from 106 in 2023 to 89 in 2024, something is going well,” Kaitlin Atkinson, northeast outreach coordinator, said.
In 2025, early numbers indicate there were 85 traffic fatalities, which would be another decrease year-to-year since the implementation of the seatbelt law.
The number can’t be directly tied to seatbelt use, but the state is seeing fewer unbelted fatalities.
“If it means people are wearing their seatbelts more often, that’s great,” Atikinson said. “We know that people are going to make the choices they are going to make, but having some legal backing and cultural shifts is where we can put our emphasis.”
Atkinson and Vision Zero have the titular goal of no traffic deaths, and it starts by pushing for an attitude change in the driver’s seat. They want to make sure people are aware and responsible for their actions behind the wheel.
“Whether it is driving impaired, speeding, distracted driving or being unbelted, car crashes are caused by the choices people make almost all of the time,” she said.
InForum reported in January 2025
that driving under the influence arrests rose 6.5% from 2023 to 2024, while alcohol-related fatalities were cut in half in that same period. The state continues to see fewer alcohol-related fatalities.
North Dakota saw its first year with an increased speed limit on some major highways in 2025 as highways like I-29 held an 80 mph limit. When the full breakdown of 2025 numbers is released by Highway Patrol later this year, Vision Zero and the state will look to see if this had an impact on speeding infractions.
Speeding infractions increased from 30,120 in 2023 to 34,571 in 2024. Around 33% of traffic fatalities in North Dakota have involved speeding or aggressive driving since 2020.
Vision Zero will continue to push towards its goal of zero fatalities and belted drivers will be used as an example of how this messaging can work. It starts with a collaborative effort among enforcement, education and legislative arms of the state.
“When we passed that primary seatbelt law in 2023, we worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement to really tout this law was changing. We made a big push out on social media and into our high schools about how that law changed. Being able to push out that messaging and being where people are at can make a big difference,” Atkinson said.
Digital Content Producer and Sports Reporter at the Grand Forks Herald since December of 2020. Maxwell can be contacted at mmarko@gfherald.com.