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Extra Speeding Enforcement Announced For Summer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police across Minnesota are pushing for a summer slowdown.

On Wednesday, the State Patrol announced it will have extra enforcement on the roads looking for speeders.

"Speed kills and, unfortunately, not enough people are heeding that warning," said Donna Berger, the director of the Office of Traffic Safety.

Speed was a contributing factor in crashes where 92 people died on Minnesota roads in 2016.

"Speed-related fatalities increased 18 percent last year compared to 2015," Berger said.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety wants drivers to slow down during these 100 deadly days on Minnesota roadways.

In a demonstration on a closed course, officials showed how hard it is to stop when traveling above the speed limit.

A car traveling at freeway speeds of 70 mph takes 103 feet to stop. So, if traffic is stopped on the interstate, your chances of rear-ending the car in front of you increases.

"We do know that crashes happen in a fraction of a second," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson, of the State Patrol.
"In one-tenth of a second, if you hit another vehicle, your grill and front end start to collapse, in the second tenth of a second, the hood starts crumpling and the windshield will start to break."

Sunny skies during the carefree summer months can sometimes cause people to push down on the accelerator a little harder.

Law enforcement hopes Wednesday's demonstration of how higher speeds can cause bigger problems helps stop people from driving above the speed limit.

"By increasing your speed by just 10 to 20 mph over the speed limit, you increase your stopping distance dramatically," said Lt. Robert Zak of the State Patrol.

Beginning Friday, more than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state will provide extra enforcement on the road.

They'll be looking for excessive speeders.

By the way, the average price of a speeding ticket for going just 10 miles over the limit can be more than $100.

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