More than 20,000 speeding tickets issued during July enforcement campaign

ST. PAUL — Whether you are late to work, rushing the kids to school or just trying to get home, there is no good excuse for speeding. Speed is a major contributing factor to fatal and life-changing crashes. Law enforcement partners worked together to stop speeders from endangering their own lives and the lives of others during a month-long extra speed enforcement and awareness campaign.

Extra speed enforcement

Law enforcement from 291 agencies across the state cited 20,657 drivers for speed violations July 1-31.

Officers, deputies and troopers participated in the statewide extra enforcement and awareness campaign coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Dangerous speeds

During the campaign, 47 agencies reported speeds of 100 mph or more. Those speeds included:

• 152 mph – Eden Prairie Police Department

• 140 mph – Minnesota State Patrol District 2400 (east metro)

• 130 mph – St. Francis Police Department

• 130 mph – Winona County Sheriff’s Office

• 118 mph – Anoka County Sheriff’s Office

A list of speeding citations and highest speed by participating agencies can be found here.

Agencies with the highest number of citations

Metro

• 770 – St. Paul Police Department

• 367 – Eden Prairie Police Department

• 355 – Edina Police Department

• 258 – Carver County Sheriff’s Office

• 176 – Crystal Police Department

• 174 – Bloomington Police Department

Greater Minnesota

• 430 – Elk River Police Department

• 254 – Rochester Police Department

• 149 – Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office

• 140 – Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office

• 113 – Itasca County Sheriff’s Office

• 101 – Stearns County Sheriff’s Office

Minnesota State Patrol

• 1,719 – State Patrol District 2600 (St. Cloud)

• 1,472 – State Patrol District 2500 (Golden Valley)

• 1,431 – State Patrol District 2100 (Rochester)

• 1,251 – State Patrol District 2400 (Oakdale)

• 1,102 – State Patrol District 2700 (Duluth)

Traffic fatalities

Preliminary numbers show speed has contributed to 63 deaths on Minnesota roads this year compared with 79 at this time last year (as of July 30).

• 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.

Examples of stops

Some examples of traffic stops law enforcement encountered during the month-long campaign:

• Wadena police cited a father and son for racing each other. They were going 72 mph in a 45 mph zone.

• A Winona County deputy clocked a motorcycle at 130 mph before it crashed. The driver had minor injuries.

• The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office cited a driver who only had an instruction permit for going 97 mph in a 70 mph zone.

• Crystal police pulled over a driver for going 112 mph. They were arrested for driving while impaired (DWI) with a BAC of .25.

• Eden Prairie police arrested 14 drivers for DWI after being stopped for speeding. Of those, one was going 101 mph and another was going 98 mph. Officers also stopped a driver for 152 mph. That driver was arrested for fleeing police and reckless driving, and their vehicle was forfeited.

• A trooper in the Mankato district cited a driver for 81 mph in a 65 mph zone. Just over an hour later, a trooper in the Marshall district cited the same driver for going 70 mph in a 45 mph zone.

• Faribault County Sheriff’s Office reported seeing an uptick in speeders in the construction zone on Interstate 90. One driver was going 14 mph over the limit with road workers present.

NHTSA Regions 5 and 7 Speed Awareness Day

Minnesota law enforcement officers from 11 states participated in a regional enforcement effort on July 26. It was 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 and give yourself room.

• The driver has more vehicle control.

• The driver can respond more quickly to road situations.

• The severity of the impact during a crash will decrease.

• 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 mph.

A costly choice

A citation may affect a person’s bank account, driving record or insurance rates, but the resulting change in behavior can be a lifesaver.

• The cost of a speeding violation will vary by county, but it will typically cost a driver more than $110 with court fees for traveling 10 mph over the limit. Fines double for those speeding 20 mph over the limit, and drivers can lose their license for six months for going 100 mph or more.

Resources: DriveSmartMN.org