Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota State Patrol and several hundred local law enforcement agencies throughout the state will be conducting a crackdown on speeders beginning Friday.

Officials note speed is a leading factor in traffic crashes and contributes to one out of every five traffic fatalities. That equates to 105 deaths and 284 serious injuries per year.

“We live in a fast-paced society, and we understand people are in a hurry to get to their destinations,” said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director. “However, statistics show faster speeds don’t save much time. Slow down and drive the speed limit, as we all want to arrive alive instead of not arriving at all.”

State officials say the AAA has calculated that, for a 30 mile trip, going 75 miles per hour would get you to your destination in 24 minutes. Slowing down to 65 miles per hour would add less than 4 minutes to the trip, while traveling at 55 miles per hour when extend your travel time by only about 8 minutes.

The enhanced enforcement campaign will run through July 26th.

MNDOT winter preparations
Minnesota Department of Transportation photo
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Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is already preparing for winter. The MNDOT district headquarters in Rochester took delivery of 20 semi-truck loads of road salt on Thursday. The facility is expecting a total of 5,000 tons before winter arrives.

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