AI enforcement drops Highway 7 traffic deaths to zero

Police on the Highway 7 corridor from St. Louis Park to St. Bonifacius say fatal crashes on that stretch fell from five in 2024 to zero in 2025 after they deployed an AI‑equipped orange trailer to spot distracted drivers and seatbelt violations. The South Lake Minnetonka Police Department and neighboring agencies used the system to capture real‑time photos of drivers on their phones or unbelted, feeding officers more than 1,500 stops in a year — a 300% jump over the previous year — while also running social‑media campaigns and student‑made PSAs about traffic safety. Serious‑injury crashes dropped by half, from an average of six per year to three, which officers say they can see in day‑to‑day patrols as they now encounter far fewer motorists visibly on their phones. The work was funded by a $451,000 grant that ran out in June, and the Highway 7 Safety Coalition — a group of more than a half‑dozen west‑metro agencies — is now trying to secure new money to keep the stepped‑up enforcement going. The program shows how automated enforcement, combined with visible policing and education, can change driver behavior on a dangerous suburban highway without relying solely on traditional speed traps.