We’re less than two months into 2024, but the year is already off to an ominous start. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, there have already been 49 traffic fatalities in Minnesota this year. That’s up from 29 at the same point last year. So what’s driving this massive increase in traffic fatalities?
While there are likely a number of different factors at play, Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Jesse Grabow said that the unseasonably mild winter is likely playing a big role. You may think that they lack of snow and ice on the roads helps to keep people from being involved in accidents, and while that’s true to an extent, the clear roads mean that people can drive at much faster speeds than normal during a Minnesota winter, and it’s these high speeds that are driving the fatality numbers.
“The faster you go, when you crash, the more violent that crash becomes, the greater risk we have of injury or death, and that’s unfortunately what I think we’re seeing right now,” said Sgt. Grabow. “And it’s concerning because one death is way too many.”
Lowering Traffic Fatalities In Minnesota
Of course, speed isn’t the only factor contributing to this spike in traffic fatalities. We’ve noticed that we are dealing with an uptick in distracted driving cases, so it seems likely that distracted driving is also on the rise, which would also significantly increase a driver’s risk of being involved in an automobile accident. Sgt. Grabow also noted that seat belt use, or the lack thereof, is also a common factor in many fatal car accidents. Although Minnesota generally has high reported seat belt use among vehicle occupants, traffic fatality data suggests that too many people still remain unbelted while traveling in a vehicle.
While the mild winter may have helped to shave some time off your morning commute, it’s still important that you travel at safe speeds and keep your eyes on the road at all times. Nobody expects to lose their lives when they get behind the wheel, but almost one person a day has died in a traffic accident each day so far in Minnesota in 2024. That’s far too high and far too many lives affected as a result of a traffic accident, so let’s make it a point to improve our driving practices as spring approaches.
Hopefully you do not need a lawyer for a traffic offense, but if you end up seeing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror and are hoping to contest the charges in court, let the team at Appelman Law Firm be your ally. Whether it’s a speeding charge or something more serious like a DUI, we’ve helped countless clients out of sticky situations, and we can do the same for you. For more information, or to see if our team might be a good fit for your case, give us a call and set up a free case review today by calling (952) 224-2277.
