Minnesota Drivers Put Pedal to the Metal, 19,000 Tickets Issued in July

Recently, Minnesota ramped up a speeding enforcement campaign and the results are nothing short of staggering. In the month of July alone, state troopers, officers, and deputies from 300 agencies across the state wrote 18,983 citations for speeding, reports KARE11.com.

Moreover, 37 of those agencies wrote tickets to drivers traveling in excess of 100 mph, including one going 140 mph, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).

DPS says there are a number of good reasons to stay at the speed limit, including that it gives the driver more control, allows motorists more time to react to road situations, and decreases the severity of impact should a crash occur, reports KARE11.com.

Penalties for speeding in the North Star State are stiff — typically costing $110-plus fees for a driver traveling 10 mph over the speed limit, while those clocked 20 mph over pay double that amount. Those caught driving over 100 mph can also lose their license for six months or longer, notes the report. Yet high fines don't seem to be deterring Minnesota motorists from putting the pedal to the metal.

Minnesota’s speeding problem mimics that of the entire nation. During the COVID-19 pandemic drivers across the country got accustomed to open roads. Experts believe that fact, coupled with pent up frustration, led drivers to tempt fate by driving at high speeds. Even worse, the risky behavior seems to have stuck.

In 2020, speeding claimed the lives of some 11,258 people nationwide — a staggering 17% increase over speeding-related traffic fatalities in 2019.

Moreover, in 2021, overall traffic fatalities in the U.S. skyrocketed 10.5%. That’s the highest number of roadway fatalities in 16 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  The agency recently launched a national anti-speeding paid media campaign with the goal of raising awareness and reducing crashes.