ST. PAUL — Grilling, boating, camping, fireworks. Minnesotans are preparing for all kinds of fun and travel with the Fourth of July holiday. The clear roads of summer make it tempting to drive fast in hopes of getting to the destination sooner, but it’s a dangerous decision. To remind motorists to drive safely, law enforcement partners are participating in a statewide extra speed enforcement and awareness campaign from July 1-31.
Officers, deputies and troopers will be looking for speeders endangering their own lives and the lives of others. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) coordinates the campaign with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign includes extra patrols and advertising in support of the Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program.
“The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day have a deadly reputation on Minnesota roads,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson. “During the first 25 days of the current 100 days, preliminary figures show 46 people have lost their lives in crashes. That’s the highest in that timespan in the last 10 years. As Minnesotans hit the road for Fourth of July, they can help change this deadly trajectory with smart choices such as slowing down.”
Speeding Leads to Crashes
While getting a ticket may be a primary concern when speeding, drivers should worry about far more dangerous consequences:
- In 2022, 129 motorists died in speed-related crashes (preliminary).
- During the 100 deadliest days in the past five years (2018-2022), preliminary numbers show that 231 people lost their lives in speed-related crashes.
- Speed contributed to an average of 85 deaths per year from 2013-2017, but an average of 122 deaths per year from 2018-2022.
Through June 25, preliminary numbers show speed-related deaths are lower so far this year than the past two years, but even one death is one too many.
Speed-Related Traffic Fatalities, Jan. 1 - June 25
- 47 in 2023
- 53 in 2022
- 80 in 2021
- 45 in 2020
- 28 in 2019
- 53 in 2018
- 47 in 2017
NHTSA Regions 5 and 7 Speed Awareness Day
Minnesota is joining law enforcement officers from 11 states on July 26 for a regional enforcement effort. It’s the NHTSA Regions 5 and 7 Speed Awareness Day. The effort includes law enforcement from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Nationally in 2021, an average of 33 people per day were killed in a speed-related traffic crash.
Reduce Speed. Reduce Chance of a Crash.
- Gives the driver more vehicle control.
- Allows the driver to respond more quickly to road situations.
- Decreases the severity of the impact during a crash.
Give Yourself Room
- Motorists should keep a three-second following distance to allow for safe stopping and reaction to other vehicles.
- It takes more than the length of a football field to stop when traveling at 60 miles per hour.
About the Minnesota Department Public Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) comprises 10 divisions where 2,100 employees operate programs in the areas of law enforcement, crime victim assistance, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, emergency communications, fire safety, pipeline safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management. DPS activity is anchored by three core principles: education, enforcement and prevention.
About the Office of Traffic Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) designs, implements and coordinates federally funded traffic safety enforcement and education programs to improve driver behaviors and reduce the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Minnesota roads. These efforts form a strong foundation for the statewide Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program. OTS also administers state funds for the motorcycle safety program, child seats for needy families program and school bus stop arm camera project.
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