Some Minnesota drivers can’t drive 55
John Egan
Maybe Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, should be renamed the Land of Leadfoot Drivers.
During a statewide speed-limit-enforcement in campaign in July, 21 motorists were ticketed for driving more than 100 miles per hour, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The speediest driver was clocked at 135 miles per hour in Benson, a town about 140 miles northwest of Minneapolis. (I don’t know whether my little ol’ SUV even is capable of going that fast.)
The average cost of a speeding ticket in Minnesota is about $120 for going 10 miles over the limit. Motorists stopped for zipping along at 20 miles per hour over the speed limit face a bigger fine, and those ticketed traveling more than 100 miles per hour can lose their driver’s licenses for six months.
“Many motorists fail to see the dangers in speeding and don’t understand its deadly consequences,” Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske says in a news release. “This campaign focuses on educating drivers that when your speed increases, so does your risk of crashing.”
Excessive speed is a factor in about one-third of fatal car crashes in the United States.
Motorists should maintain at least a three-second following distance in traffic, as it takes more than the length of a football field to stop when traveling at 60 miles per hour, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
