A speed awareness campaign has begun across Minnesota in an effort to help drivers become more aware of their speed and the dangers of traveling too fast on the road.
“It doesn’t take much — just 10 mph over the speed limit — to increase the chances of a traffic crash turning fatal,” Minnesota State Patrol officials said in a news release late last week.
Nearly 300 law enforcement agencies across Minnesota will participate in the campaign, which officially began on May 1 and will run until just after the Labor Day holiday, concluding on September 7th.
Speed Kills
According to traffic officials, speed-related crashes led to 102 fatalities and 388 serious injuries in 2025. Police plan to be in high-visibility areas with higher speed limits so that their presence is known and drivers make the conscious decision to keep their speed in check.
The campaign coincides with what’s known as the “100 Deadliest Days” on the road, which is the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. More people are traveling during this stretch of time and the summer weather allows for travel at faster speeds, which can both contribute to more traffic accidents.
“For people who think speeding is no big deal, emergency responders will tell you a far different story of what they see at a crash scene,” said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson. “If you like to speed, think of this enforcement as a life-saving intervention. Now is your chance to stop this dangerous behavior before someone gets hurt. Our law enforcement partners are out there ready to stop deadly driving.”
Even if you don’t cause an accident, being caught driving over the speed limit can be costly. In most jurisdictions, a run-of-the-mill speeding ticket will come in at more than $100, and it only goes up from there. Penalties can double for going more than 20 miles over the speeding limit, and you can lose you driver’s license for a first offense violation if you are caught traveling over 100 miles an hour, so be smart on the roads this summer.
“Slowing down is one of the simplest steps drivers can take to save lives,” the news release said.
Of course, if you run into trouble with the law and need a lawyer to help contest a speeding ticket or similar traffic citation this summer, connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm. Give our team a call today at (952) 224-2277.
