Extra speeding enforcement expected in Minnesota through end of July

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A month-long law enforcement campaign to crack down on speeders on Minnesota roads will begin Saturday.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced Thursday an extra speed enforcement and awareness campaign running through the entire month of July.

Law enforcement officers will be on the lookout for speeders "endangering their own lives and the lives of others," the Office of Traffic Safety says.

"The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day have a deadly reputation on Minnesota roads," said OTS Director Mike Hanson. "As Minnesotans hit the road for Fourth of July, they can help change this deadly trajectory with smart choices such as slowing down."

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In 2022, 129 motorists died in speed-related crashes in Minnesota. 

Preliminary numbers for 2023 show that speed-related deaths are lower this year than in the past two years. So far, there have been 47 speed-related crash deaths in the state.

Safety officials are also advising drivers to keep a three-second following distance from other vehicles to allow for safe stopping and reaction.