Safe and sober

Rock County deputies to zero in on speedersStepped-up enforcement runs July 1-18Speeding motorists on Rock County roads will be tagged by Rock County Deputies during an enhanced speeding enforcement and education campaign, July 1-18. The Safe & Sober crackdown includes participation from hundreds of law enforcement agencies statewide, including local police departments, county sheriff's offices and Minnesota State Patrol. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will coordinate the effort.Speeding is usually the most commonly reported factor in fatal crashes. In 2002, nearly 13,000 speed-related crashes resulted in 184 deaths and more than 7,000 personal injuries — costing the state an estimated $486 million. "If you're driving at unsafe or illegal speeds, you are a danger on the road and will be stopped," said Deputy Nick Schafer. "It's important to remember — the faster you go, the harder you crash."DPS reports that more than twice as many speed-related fatal crashes occuron rural roads than major urban roads."No matter how many times you've driven on a given road, it doesn't make it safe to speed," said Deputy Schafer. And time isn't on the speeder's side: traveling at 65 mph versus 55 mph over 10 miles only shaves one minute and 41 seconds off the trip time. In Rock County the minimum fine for speeding is $105.The Safe & Sober education and enforcement campaign is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes and injuries.Slow Down. Or Pay the Price.2002 Minnesota speeding facts
Illegal or unsafe speed was a contributing factor in nearly 13,000 crashes resulting in 184 fatalities and more than 7,000 personal injuries.oInjuries and fatalities resulting from speed-related crashes cost Minnesota an estimated $486 million.
Illegal or unsafe speed was cited in 8,114 property damage crashes.
Illegal or unsafe speed was cited in 27 percent of all alcohol-related crashes. Nationally about 42 percent of impaired drivers were speeding.
There were twice as many speed-related fatal crashes in rural areas (less than 5,000 population) as there were in urban areas.
More than 60 percent of rural fatal crashes occurred on state trunk and county state aid highways.
Illegal or unsafe speed was the most frequently cited contributing factor in single-vehicle crashes — accounting for more than 20 percent of all factors cited in such crashes.
Younger drivers especially speed — illegal or unsafe speed accounted for about one-quarter of the factors cited for drivers under age 30, compared to only about 10 percent of the factors cited for drivers age 65 and older.
Two-thirds of all drivers report they at least occasionally exceed what they consider to be the maximum safe speed on roads they regularly travel.
Nearly 60 percent of all drivers report seeing speeding vehicles all or most of the time when they drive on residential streets as well as highways.
NHTSA research shows motorists wrongly believe speeding is not a great risk to safety or as serious as other traffic violations. In reality, the consequences of excessive speeding include:
Greater potential for loss of vehicle control;
Increased stopping distance;
Increased crash severity leading to more numerous and severe injuries.Sources: Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2002 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration