Want to keep Minnesota roads safe? Join the State Patrol.

It’s easy to get frustrated when you look at the loss of life so far this year on Minnesota’s roads. Preliminary numbers show 320 deaths as of Oct. 26 compared to 298 at the same time last year. If you buckle up, drive sober, keep distractions away and obey the speed limit, and still wish there was more you can do, well … there is. You can join the Minnesota State Patrol. The State Patrol is currently accepting applications through Nov. 15.

Our latest blog will tell you how to qualify and what the benefits are to becoming a state trooper.

Eight Seconds: One Fatal Distraction

It’s a story about eight seconds that forever changed the lives of two families. Eight seconds a distracted driver wishes he could take back.

In the video, Eight Seconds: One Fatal Distraction, Sam Hicks, a distracted driver who took the life of 54-year-old Robert Bursik on Feb. 27, 2018, talks for the first time about the lifetime of regret caused by the decision to look down at his phone while driving.

Hicks, who was on Highway 36, looked down at his phone for eight seconds when he received a text from his girlfriend at the time about a house listing. He says, “I do pray people learn from my mistake and avoid distracted driving!”

Bursik was a husband and father of three at the time he died. Bursik’s wife and daughter are also featured in the video.

​​DPS Limits Some Services in Response to COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) has adjusted or limited some services. For the latest service updates, visit our DPS Response to COVID-19 page.

DPS is continuing to operate with many staff members working remotely to ensure social distancing.

Thank you for your patience as we all work together to get through this situation.