ST. PAUL — At some point, almost everyone has been in a rush and tried to make up time behind the wheel. The truth is, however, speeding doesn’t significantly save time and only increases the risk of a crash. That’s why law enforcement agencies joined forces in a four-month long extra speed enforcement and awareness campaign. The goal: To stop speeders from putting their lives and the lives of others at risk.

Extra speed enforcement

Law enforcement from 259 agencies across the state cited 68,723 drivers for speed violations May 1 through Sept. 2.

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 (OTS) with funding provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Minnesota Legislature.

“In a world where speeding has become all too common, it’s easy to forget that it steals lives,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson. “The staggering fact that over 68,000 speeding tickets were issued over four months, and that’s only the people who were caught, highlights the severity of the issue. We must prioritize safety over speed. No destination is worth the risk of losing a life.”

Dangerous speeds

During the campaign, 58 agencies reported seeing speeds of 100 mph or more. Those speeds included:

• 130 mph – Minnesota State Patrol Rochester district
• 130 mph – Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office
• 127 mph – Minnesota State Patrol Twin Cities west metro district
• 126 mph – Minnesota State Patrol St. Cloud district
• 126 mph – Minnesota State Patrol Detroit Lakes district
• 126 mph – Rice Police Department
• 125 mph – St. Francis Police Department

View the complete list of speeding citations and highest speed by participating agencies. 

Impaired driving arrests

Law enforcement officers were also on the lookout for drivers impaired by alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications or other substances this summer.

During the Labor Day DWI campaign from Aug. 16 through Sept. 2, officers, deputies and troopers arrested 1,235 drivers for driving impaired.

Highest blood alcohol content (BAC)

• Eagan Police Department (0.443)
• Steel County Sheriff’s Office (0.401)
• Dodge County Sheriff’s Office (0.373)
• Madelia Police Department (0.37)
• Wayzata Police Department (0.361)
• Crookston Police Department (0.36)

View the complete list of DWI arrests and highest blood alcohol content. 

Traffic fatalities

Speed and DWI are two of the leading causes of fatalities on our roads. Unfortunately, deaths on Minnesota roads are more than 11 percent higher than this time last year.

Fatalities a​s of Sept. 20: 

• 2024: 322 (preliminary numbers)
• 2023: 286

Through Sept. 15, preliminary numbers show speed has contributed to 94 deaths on Minnesota roads this year compared to 81 at the same time last year. Alcohol has contributed to 80 deaths compared to 82 at the same time last year. 

Examples of speed and DWI stops

• Eagan police responded to a call about a driver hitting several parked cars. When officers arrived, they found the driver extremely intoxicated with a 0.442 BAC.
• Airport police pulled over a vehicle driving 115 mph. The driver was arrested for DWI.
• Bayport police pulled over a driver for going nearly 30 mph over the speed limit. They cited the driver for speeding, driving with a suspended license and having an unbuckled child in the vehicle.
• The Forest Lake Police Department arrested a driver with a 0.30 BAC after the vehicle hit another car and rolled.
• Rochester police stopped a vehicle for going 57 mph over the posted speed limit. The driver was arrested with a 0.32 BAC.
• State Patrol troopers in the Twin Cities west metro area arrested a driver in a group of street racers who was clocked at 127 mph.
• State Patrol troopers in Duluth stopped a vehicle for driving 121 mph. The driver was arrested for DWI.
• St. Charles police stopped a vehicle for speeding. While talking to the driver, they learned four of the five children (two infants) in the vehicle were not using proper child restraints. The driver and passenger received multiple citations for child restraint violations.
• Annandale police arrested a driver with a BAC more than three times the legal limit for driving. The driver told officers they were on their way to work.

Move over citations

On Aug. 31, law enforcement also conducted extra enforcement for the state’s Move Over Law​. Law enforcement issued 94 citations. That compares to 125 at the same time last year.

Resources:

• DriveSmartMN.org​
• Traffic Safety and Cannabis Q&A

About the Minnesota Department Public Safety

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s 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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