Throughout July, Albert Lea Police officers and Freeborn County Sheriff’s deputies conducted enhanced speed patrols and cited 147 motorists traveling at illegal speeds during a statewide Safe & Sober effort.

“Every time you get behind the wheel put safety first — travel at the posted speed limit and reduce your risk for a crash,” said Albert Lea Police Lt. J.D. Carlson.

Speeding is the most commonly reported factor in fatal crashes. Each year in Minnesota, speed contributes to about 150 traffic deaths and 7,000 injuries. In the three-year period of 2006-08 in Minnesota, speed contributed to eight traffic deaths in Freeborn County and nearly 400 fatalities statewide — resulting in an economic impact of more than $454 million.

In Freeborn County, a typical 10 mph over the limit speeding ticket can cost $138. Among those cited for speed, Albert Lea Police officers cited 20 (high speed: 60 mph), and Freeborn County Sheriff’s Deputies cited 127 (high speed: 78 mph).

The Safe & Sober effort is coordinated by the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety. The campaign is a component of the state’s Toward Zero Death initiative. The initiative is a multi-agency approach to address traffic issues regionally through enforcement, education, engineering and emergency trauma care and response.