Midwest Center for Traffic Safety

06/10/2026

🚨 SAVE THE DATE: Illinois Speed Awareness Day 2026 🚨

Illinois Speed Awareness Day is set for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, with agencies across the state joining together to reduce speed-related crashes and fatalities through high-visibility enforcement and public education.

Speeding remains one of the most preventable factors in serious crashes. The Midwest Center for Traffic Safety is proud to support this statewide effort to encourage drivers to slow down, stay alert, and help keep Illinois roads safe for everyone.

🛑 Speeding Catches Up with You

Learn more and access early materials from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police:
https://www.ilchiefs.org/speed-awareness-day

SAVE THE DATE! Illinois Speed Awareness Day 2026 is set for July 22 statewide!

Be part of the effort to reduce speed-related crashes and fatalities through high-visibility enforcement and public education. Let’s work together to make Illinois
roads safer for everyone.

✅ Check out early imaging, press release templates, and more:
🔗 https://www.ilchiefs.org/speed-awareness-day

🛑 Speeding Catches Up with You

06/05/2026

At the 2025 Midwest Traffic Safety Conference, the Rebecca Grossman case served as a powerful keynote reminder of the devastating consequences that unsafe driving can have on families, communities, and lives forever changed.

Stories like this are difficult to hear, but they are exactly why our work matters. Traffic safety is not just about roads, laws, or statistics — it is about protecting people.

Join us for the 2026 Midwest Traffic Safety Conference as we continue bringing together advocates, professionals, and community leaders committed to preventing tragedies and keeping our roads safe for everyone.

Together, we can drive change.

05/28/2026

🚛 Important Update for Agricultural Transportation

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a temporary waiver for motor carriers and drivers transporting straight or blended fertilizer products for commercial farming and agricultural purposes in select states.

The waiver is effective May 26, 2026, through August 26, 2026, and provides limited relief from certain Hours-of-Service and Electronic Logging Device requirements.

Key points:
✅ Applies only to qualifying fertilizer transportation for commercial farming and agricultural purposes
✅ Includes several Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and others
✅ Drivers may not drive more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period
✅ Required rest breaks still apply
✅ Does not apply to hazardous materials transportation
✅ Drivers and motor carriers must continue to follow all other applicable federal and state safety requirements

Motor carriers and drivers using this waiver should carefully review the full terms, conditions, and restrictions to ensure compliance.

Safety remains the priority. Please plan accordingly, stay informed, and operate responsibly.

05/27/2026

🚔 Southern Illinois Summer Traffic Symposium

Law enforcement officers and prosecutors are invited to join us for a focused traffic safety training event featuring the latest developments, tools, and enforcement strategies in impaired driving and traffic safety.

📅 Date: June 24, 2026
📍 Location: The Regency Conference Center
400 Regency Park, O’Fallon, IL 62269

✅ Registration is FREE
🍽️ Lunch is not included

Registration will be handled through the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission. Monitor www.silec.org for registration information.

This event is funded by NHTSA and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

05/25/2026

🚦 Speaker Announcement! 🚦

We’re excited to welcome Randy Wiessinger to the Midwest Traffic Safety Conference, happening November 10–12, 2026, at The Westin in Itasca!

Randy brings nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, retiring from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office in Madison, Wisconsin, after 29 years of service. During his career, he led both the traffic enforcement unit and the motor unit, giving him firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities communities face when working to reduce crashes and save lives.

Since 2015, Randy has continued his commitment to traffic safety by providing consulting services to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as a Law Enforcement Liaison.

At this year’s conference, Randy will present:

“From Silos to Synergy: The Wisconsin Model of Collaboration”

Wisconsin’s unique Traffic Safety Commission model shows what is possible when counties, local leaders, law enforcement, community partners, and residents come together with a shared mission. Randy will highlight how Wisconsin is using this mandatory quarterly framework to spark grassroots collaboration, address local road hazards, and advance the Safe System Approach to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.

This is a session you won’t want to miss if you care about building stronger partnerships, breaking down silos, and creating safer roads for every road user.

📅 November 10–12, 2026
📍 The Westin, Itasca, Illinois

Join us as we learn how collaboration can move traffic safety from conversation to action. More details coming soon!

2026 Midwest Traffic Safety Conference

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

Why spend your day sitting in a classroom and traveling when you can learn from top-tier instructors and enjoy personal interaction as if you're right there? Sign up today!

Registration for our Crash Investigation 2 summer online courses closes soon! Advance your crash investigation skills with flexible online learning designed for today’s public safety professionals.

Crash Investigation 2 Online Blended
June 8 – July 3
~ Weekly live remote sessions
~ Recorded classes available for review
~ Flexible asynchronous coursework
~ Interactive instructor-led learning

Register via Midwest Center for Traffic Safety:
midwesttrafficsafety.org/northwestern

Crash Investigation 2 Online – Instructor Led
July 6 – August 30
~ Learn on your schedule
~ Instructor-led coursework
~ Advanced crash investigation concepts
~ Technical report writing & digital evidence topics

Register at:
nucps.northwestern.edu

It’s not simply Zoom for 8 hours, these courses are designed to keep participants engaged through instructor interaction, projects, discussions, and applied learning experiences.

05/21/2026

🚨 Register now for the 2026 Midwest Traffic Safety Conference, happening November 10–12, 2026!

We’re excited to feature important presentations on EV Incident Scene Safety and AFV Incident Scene Safety, designed to provide law enforcement personnel with critical, first-on-scene guidance for safely working around Electric Vehicles and Alternative Fuel Vehicles during crashes or roadside incidents.

These sessions will cover key topics, including:

✅ Vehicle identification and hazard recognition
✅ High-voltage DC systems and high-pressure fuel systems
✅ Safe approach and scene control
✅ Exposure risks and protection
✅ Fire and fuel properties
✅ Strategies for mitigating risks at incident scenes

Attendees will hear from Tim Ferretti, an EV/AFV cleanup contractor and safety consultant with extensive experience in the scrap, industrial demolition, and automotive recycling industries. A former Marine with Hazmat and electronics training, Tim has developed safe procedures and trained salvage yards on dismantling propane, hybrid, electric, CNG, and LNG vehicles. He is a certified HAZWOPER Supervisor and HazMat Tech who has responded to EV, AFV, and lithium-ion battery fires and emergencies across the Midwest. Over the past four years, he has become a nationwide instructor for first responders and Hazmat teams.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn practical, life-saving information from an experienced industry expert.

📅 November 10–12, 2026
📍 Midwest Traffic Safety Conference

Register today and make plans to attend!

Ferretti S&R

05/18/2026

The Midwest Center for Traffic Safety and the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Nick L. Adams of the Elwood Police Department.

Officer Adams was a longtime supporter, partner, and friend whose dedication to public safety and service to the community will never be forgotten. His commitment to law enforcement, truck enforcement, and those he served made a lasting impact on so many throughout Illinois.

Nick will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege to know and work alongside him. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family, the Elwood Police Department, and the entire Village of Elwood during this difficult time.

Rest easy, Officer Adams. Your service and legacy will always be remembered.

05/15/2026

Join us for an inspiring day of scene diagramming with Recon 3D, happening the Monday before our conference! This fantastic opportunity will enhance your skills using just your phone or tablet. Don’t miss out on this exciting chance to learn and connect!!

https://mailchi.mp/midwesttrafficsafety.org/discover-recon-3d-your-ultimate-diagramming-tool