Summer Enforcement Campaign Curbs Dangerous Driving Across Minnesota, with Southwest Region Seeing High Speeds, DWIs

MARSHALL — From drivers racing at more than 100 mph to impaired motorists with children in their cars, Minnesota law enforcement cracked down this summer in a statewide effort to prevent tragedies on the road. 

Nearly 300 agencies participated in enforcement campaigns focused on speeding, impaired driving, and the Move Over law during the 100 deadliest days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The extra patrols resulted in 46,624 speeding citations, 1,357 DWI arrests, and 178 Move Over citations. 

Southwest Minnesota agencies recorded some of the state’s most dangerous cases. The Minnesota State Patrol’s Marshall district reported drivers reaching 126 mph, while the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office cited a driver going 140 mph. In one incident, a Nicollet County deputy stopped the same motorist twice in two hours, once for speeding 90 mph, and again at 100 mph, which led to an underage DWI arrest with three other juveniles in the vehicle. 

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department also recorded the highest blood alcohol content (BAC) in greater Minnesota, a staggering 0.431. Meanwhile, Lac qui Parle County deputies arrested a driver with a 0.32 BAC. 

Overall, traffic fatalities during the 100 deadliest days were down from last year. Preliminary figures show 110 deaths this summer, compared to 149 in 2024. So far in 2025, 268 people have died on Minnesota roads, a decrease from 332 at this time last year. Speed has contributed to 71 deaths, while impairment has caused 82. 

Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety, said the campaigns are aimed at preventing life-altering consequences. “Drivers often don’t take time to realize how one lapse in judgment can have horrific consequences,” he said. 

This summer also marked the 25th anniversary of the Move Over Law, created in honor of State Trooper Ted Foss, who was killed on the roadside in 2000. Officers issued 178 citations during the Aug. 31 enforcement effort, nearly double last year’s total. 

You can find the complete report here.