A group called Safe Communities of Wright County will work with the Minnesota Departments of Transportation and Public Safety, the Minnesota State Patrol and University of Minnesota to launch a new initiative called Toward Zero Deaths.

The initiative is designed to improve safety along state Highway 55 from Buffalo to Loretto, which the group said was one of the most traveled two-lane roads in the state.

The group, which held its first meeting in Buffalo Oct. 31, is considering a number of options to increase safety, including a public-awareness campaign, targeted enforcement and stepped-up drivers' education for new and experienced drivers.

The Toward Zero Deaths initiative is patterned after a program in Australia. Safe Communities of Wright County is a group that has worked for five years to reduce the number of crashes throughout the county.