The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is out with its annual Memorial Day weekend safety message as we begin what officials call the 100 deadliest days of the year on state roadways.
State Patrol Lieutenant Mike Lee says while the number of fatal crashes were down last year, the factors that contribute to accidents and fatal crashes are still all too common.
"The frustrating part is that the deadly crashes we respond to are not accidents in the way people sometimes think of them, they are the result of choices," says Lee. "Choices to drive too fast, choices to drive distracted, choices to drive impaired, and choices to not wear their seatbelts."
Starting this holiday weekend and throughout the summer there will be increased law enforcement out on the roads, and extra troopers will be looking for distracted and impaired drivers, people not wearing their seatbelts, and the number one problem contributing to fatal crashes: speeding.
"Some drivers think a few extra MPH doesn't matter, but physics tell us otherwise," says Shannon Grabow, Supervisor with the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety. "Every 1-mile-an-hour over the speed limit increases both the force of a crash and the likelihood of a serious injury or death."
Grabow says troopers issued 166,000 speeding citations on Minnesota roads last year.
From May 26 to Sept. 1 last year, there were 111 fatalities on Minnesota roads:
- In 31 of them, someone was speeding.
- In 37, one of the drivers had consumed alcohol.
- In 16 of the deaths, the victim wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
- In five of those crashes, one of the drivers was distracted.
Speeding in Minnesota
Speeding by even a few miles over the limit increases crash risk and can make crashes deadly. Speeding citations vary by county but typically cost $100 or more for 10 mph over the speed limit. Fines double for drivers caught going 20 mph over the limit, and drivers going 100 mph or more could lose their license for six months. Citations can affect a person’s bank account, driving record or insurance rates.
- Speeding in 2025 (preliminary):
- 388 speed-related serious injuries
- 102 speed-related fatalities
- Approximately 65 percent of speed-related deaths had at least one driver going just 10 mph over the speed limit or more.
From 2020 to 2025, there were:
- 941,517 speed-related citations
- 2,492 speed-related serious injuries
- 778 speed-related fatalities
