Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly

What:

Summer months provide beautiful weather in Minnesota, but dry roads also allow for drivers to get complacent with speeding. Law enforcement in southern Minnesota are focusing efforts to remind motorists to drive the posted speed, including the safe speed for road conditions.

In addition, Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths stakeholders and regional law enforcement are joining forces to educate the public about importance of never driving faster than your guardian angel can fly during the statewide speed extra enforcement period, which starts July 6 and runs through July 22.

When:

Friday, July 6, at 10 a.m.

Where:

Mankato Airport, 3030 N. Airport Road, Mankato

Who:

Mark Griffith, executive director, South Central Minnesota EMS Program

· Brett Paasch, traffic engineer, MnDOT District 7

· Capt. Jeremy Geiger, Minnesota State Patrol

Why:

· In 2017, preliminary numbers show speed was the number one contributing factor in single-vehicle crashes (22 percent).

· In 2017, preliminary numbers show 88 motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads due to speed.

· During the 100 deadliest days in a five year period (2013 – 2017), preliminary numbers show 108 motorists lost their lives on Minnesota roads.

The South Central and Southwest Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths program brings area law enforcement, public health educators, engineers and emergency medical and trauma services together to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and severe injuries to zero in south central Minnesota.

The 27-county area encompasses: Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Nobles, Rock, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties.