ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO) – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is reminding travelers with a Memorial Day weekend safety message as what officials call the 100 deadliest days of the year begin.
State Patrol Lieutenant Mike Lee says while the number of fatal crashes were down last year, the factors that contribute to accidents and fatal crashes are still all too common.
“The frustrating part is that the deadly crashes we respond to are not accidents in the way people sometimes think of them, they are the result of choices,” says Lee. “Choices to drive too fast, choices to drive distracted, choices to drive impaired, and choices to not wear their seatbelts.”
Starting this weekend there will be increased law enforcement on the roads. Troopers will be looking for distracted and impaired drivers, people not wearing their seatbelts, and the number one contributing to fatal crashes, speeding.
“Some drivers think a few extra MPH doesn’t matter, but physics tell us otherwise,” says Shannon Grabow, Supervisor with the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. “Every 1-mile-an-hour over the speed limit increases both the force of a crash and the likelihood of a serious injury or death.”
Grabow says troopers issued 166,000 speeding citations on Minnesota roads last year. From May 26 to Sept. 1 last year, there were 111 fatalities on Minnesota roads.
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