The state’s roadway fatalities eclipsed 300 in late October and now include 306 deaths through Wednesday, said the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in a news release — putting the state on a path to match its recent average.
The four main factors in roadway deaths, the public safety department said, have been alcohol-related crashes (90), speeding (66), unbelted motorists (57) and distracted driving (13).
Three-fourths of those who died were male (229) compared to 77 female fatalities.
The six-year average through 2016 for roadway deaths in Minnesota was 386, meaning the state is tracking to be around that number again with two months left in the year.
In the decade prior to the most recent six-year average, the state averaged 610 roadway deaths. The drop has been attributed, in part, to the state’s multi-agency Toward Zero Deaths program which tackles roadway safety in numerous ways, including public awareness, roadway engineering, law enforcement and more.
The fatalities to date include 201 motor vehicle drivers and occupants, 52 motorcyclists, 33 pedestrians, five bicyclists and 15 in other types of vehicles.
Source: Duluth News Tribune