Brainerd lakes area law enforcement officers are joining more than 300 agencies statewide to look for speeders during extra speed enforcement on roads through July 23.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety coordinates the extra enforcement and education effort. DPS-OTS provides federal funding for law enforcement to work overtime hours conducting increased patrols.
"Driving in the summer in Minnesota is such a joy compared to winter roads, but the improved conditions prove more deadly," stated Tony Runde, Brainerd police officer, in a news release. "Clear, dry roads tempt drivers to increase their speeds, and when we add in motorists who are drunk, texting or unbelted, we see the 100 deadliest days over the summer months. Please understand that your decision to speed or drive aggressively can be a dangerous, selfish choice that's not worth the few minutes shaved off your travel time."
While getting a ticket may be a primary concern for drivers exceeding the speed limit, they should worry about far more dangerous consequences:
• In single-vehicle crashes in 2015, Minnesota statistics show that illegal or unsafe speed was the most common contributing factor.
ADVERTISEMENT
• During the 100 deadliest days in the past five years from 2012-16, preliminary numbers show 109 people lost their lives in speed-related crashes.
• Fatal crashes overall tend to occur on rural area roads that permit high speeds and do not have interstate-type safety designs.
• In 2015, the highest numbers of fatal crashes, traffic fatalities, injuries and overall crashes took place on two-lane roads, one lane each way.
Minnesota statistics show drivers are slowing down and being less aggressive. When comparing the five-year periods of 2006-10 and 2011-15, there was a 28 percent reduction in speed-related fatalities and a 32 percent decrease in speed-related serious injuries.
Speeding dangers include a greater potential for loss of vehicle control, increased stopping distance, less time for driver response for crash avoidance, and increased crash severity, leading to more severe injuries and death.
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.
Extra speed enforcement and education efforts are part of the state's Toward Zero Deaths program. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture in Minnesota in which motorists support a goal of zero road fatalities by practicing and promoting safe and smart driving behavior. TZD focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes: education, enforcement, engineering and emergency medical and trauma response.
