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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, according to a press release.

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.”

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

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)

Steele 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)

Traffic fatalities

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

Fatalities as 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.

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.