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Ask a Trooper by Troy Christianson

Question: Are you seeing increased speed more in the metro or Greater Minnesota? And are those increased speeds on the highway or the city streets?

Answer: The Minnesota State Patrol is seeing increased speeds across the state. Whether you live in the metro or Greater Minnesota, excessive speeds are a cause for concern.

People tend to think of dangerous speeds on the highway, but traveling at a high rate of speed through a city can be just as tragic. Law enforcement statewide recently cited 759 drivers for going 20 mph or more above the limit in a 30 mph zone (Feb. 1-March 31). The highest speed clocked in a 30 mph zone was 83 mph by Minneapolis Park Police. Imagine if a ball got away from a child or a person was crossing the street. At those speeds, it could be tragic.

Statewide, law enforcement cited 23,052 drivers for speed violations from Feb. 1-March 31 during the extra speed enforcement campaign. The highest speed clocked in the metro was 127 mph and 135 mph in Greater Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS), in collaboration with the Minnesota departments of Health and Transportation, announced the statewide campaign on Feb. 8. The campaign was created due to a significant increase in speed-related incidents and traffic fatalities in 2020.

If you are concerned about a person speeding or driving aggressively, find a safe place to call 911 and provide as much information about the vehicle as possible.

By driving smart and slowing down, we can all save lives on Minnesota roads and help everyone arrive home safely at the end of the day.  Visit DriveSmartMN.org for more information.

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol, at 2900 48th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901-5848; or reach him at Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us.

Troy Christianson is a sergeant with the Minnesota State Patrol.