MN State Patrol Reports Success from Project 20(22) Summer Driving Initiative

The Minnesota State Patrol is reporting great success over the summer in stopping dangerous driving behaviors through their Project 20(22) initiative.

Troopers conducted high-visibility patrols around the state over six weekends from May through September. The initiative was launched to stop the deadliest traffic violations: excessive speeding, lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, and driving while impaired.

The campaign follows a large spike in fatal crashes involving excessive speeds over the past two years.

This year’s results included:

• 3,742 traffic stops
• 2,773 speeding tickets
• 144 seat belt enforcements
• 137 distracted driving enforcements
• 61 impaired driving arrests
• 38 other arrests

Among the speeders cited was a 17-year-old pulled over while driving 113 mph in a 60 mph zone. Another driver was clocked at 123 mph and actually admitted to driving 130. Elsewhere, a 16-year-old was caught driving 102 mph in a 65 mph zone, and an impaired motorcyclist was pulled over for going 100 mph in a 70 mph zone.