Minnesota law enforcement wrote out over 16 thousand tickets for speeding during a two-week crackdown ending July 23rd. Except for last year, the number of tickets during that period has dropped only slightly, and Traffic Safety Office Director Donna Berger says speeding remains a big problem. She says, “Unfortunately we have an average of 83 people losing their lives each year on Minnesota roads due to excessive speed, and it is a behavior that’s tough to change.” Berger says enforcement campaigns temporarily change behavior, but speeding — along with distracted driving — is something officials are having a hard time changing long term.
Among excuses officers heard last month when stopping people for speeding: A driver going 109 in a 65-mile-per-hour zone said they were running late for dinner with grandma. Another driver, pulled over for going 74 in a 55, said they were going to a funeral but were wearing gym clothes. Twenty agencies stopped motorists going 100 miles an hour or more, including someone going 155 in the Detroit Lakes area.
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