With traffic fatalities in Minnesota soaring nearly 40% compared to the same period last year, the State Patrol has rolled out a fresh crackdown to curb the speeding epidemic plaguing the state’s rural highways. Dubbed the Rural Speed Reduction Project, law enforcement will enhance their presence on specific high-risk roadways through September 2nd, in a determined effort to hammer the brakes on reckless drivers before more lives are lost. As Col. Christina Bogojevic, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol stated in an initiative announcement, “Losing a loved one because of a crash that was likely preventable is heartbreaking, and unacceptable."
The grim numbers speak for themselves, with 116 traffic fatalities recorded thus far in 2024 compared to 84 during the same timeframe in 2023. The uptick in speed-related deaths is also alarming: from 31 this year against 26 in the previous year, against the backdrop of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that found a staggering 87 percent of all speed-related traffic deaths in the U.S. occurred on non-interstate roads in 2022. In response, the State Patrol’s initiative focuses on these rural sectors, notorious for permitting high speeds without the safety nets of interstate designs, according to a DPS blog post.
The Rural Speed Reduction Project entails each State Patrol district deploying troopers for high-visibility patrols, targeting roads that data has pinpointed as particularly problematic, drawing on metrics such as crashes, traffic volume, and speeding citation history. These patrols will operate during both regular and overtime hours. Some districts may dedicate entire trooper rosters to these efforts on selected days throughout the summer.
The State Patrol is also resurrecting its Project 20(24), focusing on distraction, seat belt use, and driving under the influence. These violations round out, with speed, the four deadliest threats on the roads today. Colonel Bogojevic laid out the strategy plainly, “Our troopers and law enforcement partners will continue working hard to stop dangerous driving behaviors, but we can't do it alone,” she explained. “Drivers have to do their part. That means driving the speed limit, putting distractions away, buckling up and always driving sober. Let's work together to make our roads safer for everyone,” as noted on the DPS blog.
