Rice County officers weren't taking it slow this pre-holiday weekend, pulling over a whopping 78 motorists and handing out 18 citations, according to a recent report. A standout among the infractions, a Lonsdale man clocked at 91 mph in a 60-mph zone, was slapped with charges including third-degree DWI and driving without a license, following a stop on Hwy. 19 just east of Lonsdale.
This increase in traffic enforcement is part of the annual Border-to-Border (B2B) campaign, which saw officers particularly concentrated on major roadways such as Hwy. 14, 19, and 60 on July 3rd to emphasize the importance of traffic law adherence and safety on the streets, notable because speeding is the leading cause of death on Minnesota roads, these efforts are a response to the grim statistic that nearly one third of the total road fatalities occurred during the summer months last year.
In 2024, Minnesota roads were draped in sorrow, as they claimed the lives of 151 people between Memorial Day and Labor Day; a stark reminder provided by official data. The local agencies behind this stern watch – the Rice County Sheriff’s Office, and the Faribault, Lonsdale, and Northfield Police departments – are stewards of the state's "Toward Zero Deaths" campaign, a vision aspiring to reduce fatal road incidents entirely.
"This special B2B enforcement shows the commitment of participating agencies to move Toward Zero Deaths, and is another effort to change dangerous behaviors and get drivers to slow down and follow the posted speed limit," Kathy Cooper, Rice County Safe Roads Coalition Coordinator, underscored the purpose behind the crackdown, in a drive to reform the way people command their vehicles, knowing that nationwide, speeding bolsters 87% of fatal crashes on non-interstate roads; a somber statistic beckoning every driver's heed. Enforcement waves of this nature are set to continue through Labor Day, inspiring a safer commute for all.
