A Deadly Holiday Weekend
- A deadly Memorial Day weekend resulted in six deaths in six separate crashes on Minnesota roads.
- The six deaths include:
o A 27-year-old male whose vehicle went into another lane of traffic in Scott County, sideswiped one vehicle before hitting another vehicle head on.
o A 19-year-old female passenger died in a Dakota County crash where speed and distraction is suspected.
o A 45-year-old man who crashed his ATV in Red Lake.
o Three motorcyclists:
- A 21-year-old male fleeing police in Mower County.
- A 69-year-old female who was going too fast for the conditions in Anoka County.
- A 23-year-old man who crashed in Dakota County.
Fatalities Now Ahead of Last Year
- Preliminary numbers from the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety show 118 people have lost their lives in traffic crashes on Minnesota roads so far in 2018. That’s compared with 115 this time last year.
State Patrol Responds to Memorial Day Weekend Crashes
- Property damage crash: 228
- Personal injury crash: 37
- Serious injury crash: five
Spending the Holiday Behind Bars
- Preliminary numbers show law enforcement arrested 374 people for DWI over the holiday weekend. (6 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. today)
- Preliminary numbers show there have been 2,078 DWI arrests in 2018.
Click It or Ticket Extra Enforcement Now Through June 3
- More than 300 law enforcement agencies around the state are participating in the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign.
- Expect the Unexpected: You may be a safe driver but you never know what to expect from others on the road. Buckling up and having your passengers properly secured in the vehicle is the first line of defense in a crash. Preliminary numbers show 73 unbelted motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads in 2017.
100 Deadliest Days on Minnesota Roads
- Memorial Day through Labor Day marks the 100 deadliest days on Minnesota roads.
- Preliminary numbers show the 100 day stretch last year accounted for 121 fatalities, making up 34 percent of all the traffic deaths in 2017.
Motorcycle Safety
- Safety messages for motorists
o Watch for motorcycles. Due to their smaller size, speed and distance are more difficult to judge.
o Always look twice before entering a roadway or changing lanes to make sure a motorcycle isn’t in your blind spot.
o Give riders room to ride by maintaining a 3-second following distance. Give a motorcycle as much space as another car or truck
- Safety messages for riders
o Wear all the gear, all the time.
- Brightly-colored protective gear, including a DOT-approved helmet, helps make a rider visible to other drivers and protects them in case of a crash.
- Riding gloves, a jacket, pants, boots, helmet and eye protection are all that stand between the rider and the pavement in a crash. Making the decision to wear all the gear can save lives.
o Never drink and ride.
o Be prepared for inattentive drivers by staying focused on riding and keeping speed in check.
o Take a training course.
- MMSC offers training courses for all experience levels during the riding season.
Speak Up and Save Lives
- If you are with a driver who is distracted, speak up, tell them to put the phone down and offer to be their designated texter.
- Refuse to drive until every passenger is buckled up.
- Slow down —trying to save a few minutes off your drive isn’t worth causing a crash.
- Plan ahead before you go out by designating a sober driver, and if you see a person who has had too much to drink, speak up and find them a safe ride home.