In this issue
- DVS: Multilingual virtual assistant answers questions for all Minnesotans
- MMSC: State classes offer experienced riders chance to polish their skills
- OTS: Make summer the 100 safest days
- Commissioner’s corner
- Featured social media
 Somali community member Yasmin Aden shares her story of using the new virtual assistant on drive.mn.gov in the Somali language.
The new Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) virtual assistant leverages Google artificial intelligence to make interactions with DVS better for customers. Leaders in DPS, Minnesota IT Services and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced last month the launch of the DVS virtual assistant. Watch the announcement here.
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‘Digital equity’: The new tool allows Minnesotans of a variety of backgrounds to independently interact with DVS, which Somali community member Yasmin Aden called “a step forward for digital equity.”
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Taking feedback: DVS staff listened to feedback from communities across Minnesota over the past few years and heard a common theme: Easier access to DVS services in multiple languages must be a priority.
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What it does: DVS online visitors can use the virtual assistant to ask questions, gather information and research topics in one of four languages: English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.
Learn more here.
 A motorcyclist wearing a helmet safely negotiates a curve.
Three motorcyclists died on Minnesota's roads over Memorial Day weekend. None of the three were wearing a helmet.
Jay Bock, safety coordinator for our Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (MMSC), says a number of factors contribute to most deadly crashes, including speed and impairment, but there are steps both riders and drivers can take to prevent these tragedies.
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Motorcycle training: Motorcycle training coordinated by the MMSC helps riders hone their hazard-avoidance skills, which are crucial to avoid road hazards such as other vehicles and deer. They also help you improve your cornering technique, a key skill that makes riding more enjoyable and safer.
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Become an expert: Even experienced riders can use a refresher course once in a while. That's why we offer advanced and expert courses, along with basic and intermediate.
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Riders: Wear full protective gear, including a helmet. It can be the difference between life and death. Two-thirds of riders killed in 2022 were not wearing a helmet.
Learn more here.
 Traffic crowds the roads in the summer.
The 100 days from Memorial Day through Labor Day have a dangerous reputation. Preliminary numbers show that stretch accounted for 169 of the 444 traffic fatalities last year. That's 38 percent of all the traffic deaths in 2022.
“It's time to take accountability for our own driving behaviors so that we can change this reputation from the 100 deadliest days to the 100 safest days," Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) enforcement coordinator Shannon Grabow said.
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Extra enforcement: Throughout the next 100 days, OTS will be coordinating extra enforcement and awareness campaigns to help Minnesotans get home safely.
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State Patrol: Troopers will be conducting extra street racing enforcement, Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) patrols and Project 20(23), which involves high-visibility patrols around the state, to stop dangerous driving behaviors before someone gets hurt.
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Drive smart: It's never guaranteed, but by buckling your seat belt, putting the phone down, driving safe and sober, and obeying the speed limit, you can increase the chances that the open road will lead to summer fun instead of tragedy.
Learn more here.
 K-9 Busa has retired.
Join us in wishing Minnesota State Patrol K-9 Busa a happy retirement. The German Shepard worked with Trooper Nick Otterson in the Brainerd District for seven years. Busa conducted 438 deployments during his career.
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