ST. PAUL, Minn. – Somebody missed the memo. In fact, a lot of people did. The State Patrol reported citing 13,673 drivers for speeding the first two months of the year, through March 4, despite news media-relayed warnings that a crackdown was coming. The number compared to with 11,318 tickets in the same period last year. Also, the Patrol said, 142 motorists were stopped for going 100 mph, compared with 80. Not giving up, the Patrol issued more speed-related horror stories, including these fatal accidents:
> A motorcyclist not wearing a helmet crashed in Nicollet County on Highway 169 and died
> A man on an ATV at 40 mph while racing a dirt bike on County Road 74 in Benton County drifted into the opposite lane and collided with an oncoming vehicle, He died.
> A car going too fast for conditions in Scott County lost control on a curve in blowing snow, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a pickup. The driver was died.
Verbatim
Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety: “The campaign was created due to a significant increase in speed-related incidents in 2020. This year is proving to be just as dangerous for traffic fatalities as 2020, and speed-related deaths are outpacing last year.”