DPS News: Minnesota Reaches 400 Traffic Deaths; Earliest since 2007

Minnesota Reaches 400 Traffic Deaths;

Earliest since 2007

401 Traffic Fatalities across the State

• 401 people have died on Minnesota roads since Jan. 1 compared to 322 last year at this time, according to preliminary figures from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS). .

• The state reported its 400th traffic death (preliminary) on Oct. 23rd. This is the earliest date the state reached 400 traffic fatalities since 2007 when Minnesota reached 400 deaths on Oct. 16, 2007.

Reaching 400 Traffic Fatalities (Preliminary)

Recent Deaths on Minnesota Roads Include:

• In Hennepin County, an 89-year-old woman and an 85-year old woman were both killed when a vehicle ran a red light and hit the car they were traveling in.
• A 55-year old man was killed while walking on a St. Paul city street and killed in a hit-and-run crash.
• A 30-year-old man was killed in Hennepin County when the vehicle he was driving ran off the road and rolled over. Alcohol is suspected.
• A 55-year-old helmetless and beltless man was killed when the UTV was driving went off a county road. Alcohol use is suspected.
•  A 30-year-old woman riding her motorcycle without a helmet died when she ran off a Carver County road.
• A 62-year-old man died when he rear-ended a vehicle, hit a barrier and rolled his car in Wright County.
• A 73-year-old unbelted man died when he ran off a Le Sueur County road and rolled his vehicle.
• A 35-year-old man died when he ran off an Anoka County road. Alcohol is suspected.

 The First 401 Traffic Fatalities Include:

• 62 motorcyclists compared with 60 reported this time last year.

• 46 pedestrians compared with 36 reported this time last year.

• 7 bicyclists compared with 10 reported this time last year.

 Bad Choices. Tragic Results.

For the first 401 traffic fatalities, preliminary information shows:

• 130 speed-related deaths compared with 98 this time last year (33 percent increase).

• 104 alcohol-related deaths compared with 112 this time last year (7 percent decrease).

• 18 distracted-related deaths compared with 28 this time last year (36 percent decrease).

• 85 unbelted motorist deaths compared with 83 this time last year (2 percent increase).

“All of the work we have done to reduce traffic fatalities on our roads during the past 15 years has been wiped away with the selfish decisions by many on our roads,” said Mike Hanson, Office of Traffic Safety director. “Until early 2020, we had been seeing a steady decline in traffic deaths, but for whatever reason, people are ignoring the rule of the law, putting themselves and innocent motorists in harms-way. Until every motorist takes responsibility for their own actions, we’ll continue to see the carnage on our roads.”

Fatality Breakdown

Out of the first 401 fatalities on Minnesota roads, 74 percent were male.

Resources: DriveSmartMN.org