ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety announced last week 21 motorists were ticketed for speeding in excess of 100 mph and 72 drivers were cited for going more than 90 mph during a statewide speed enforcement campaign in July.

Enhanced speed patrols, coordinated by the department’s Office of Traffic Safety, the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Transportation will continue in select traffic areas through September.

“Many motorists fail to see the dangers in speeding and don’t understand its deadly consequences,” said State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske. “This campaign focuses on educating drivers that when your speed increases, so does your risk of crashing.”

Illegal and unsafe speeding factored in at least 86 deaths in 2010 — 65 percent occurred in rural areas.

The highest speeds recorded that resulted in a ticket during the July enforcement were: 135 mph (Benson Police); 118 mph (Swift County Sheriff’s Office); 110 mph (Fridley Police); 107 mph (St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office); 106 mph (Blaine Police and Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office); 105 mph (Anoka, Marshall, Norman and Washington county sheriff’s offices).

The average cost of a speeding ticket in Minnesota is around $120 for 10 miles over the limit. Motorists stopped at 20 mph over the speed limit face double the fine, and those ticketed traveling more than 100 mph can lose their license for six months.

The 12-month speed campaign targets specific “problem” corridors in many parts of the state that have high numbers of deaths, serious injuries, DWI arrests, and speed and distracted driving-related crashes. The speed enforcement includes a focus on aggressive driving behavior, such as tailgating, abrupt lane changes and red light running. Roeske also cautions motorists to pass carefully, especially on two-lane rural roads on which most of the state’s fatal crashes occur.

DPS reports the dangers of speeding include greater potential for loss of vehicle control, increased stopping distance, less time available for driver response for crash avoidance and increased crash severity. Motorists should keep at least a three-second following distance, as it takes more than the length of a football field to stop when traveling at 60 miles per hour.

Aug. 1-7 among state’s deadliest periods of year on the road

Minnesota Department of Public Safety officials announced Aug. 1-7 was the third deadliest week of 2011 on Minnesota roads. Since Aug. 1, there have been 13 people have been killed on state roads, according to preliminary reports from the Office of Traffic Safety.

Other deadly seven-day periods on the road in 2011 include:

• July 4–10: 21 deaths. (The 27 deaths during June 30–July 14 was the deadliest two-week period of the year.)

• May 19–25: 14 deaths. (There were 18 deaths during the two-week period, May 13–26.)

• Feb. 1–7, Feb. 17–23, June 12–18: 11 deaths for each period.

Officials said the traffic deaths spiked in July, the deadliest month of the year so far (43 deaths), followed by June (30) and May (28). To-date, there have been 194 traffic deaths in Minnesota, compared to 229 at this time in 2010. The state’s total fatality number for 2010 was 411, the lowest since 1944.

“This last week sadly highlighted how driver error leads to road tragedy,” said Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske. “It’s not surprising to see an increase in deaths when seat belts aren’t worn, when drivers speed and when they don’t pay attention. Summertime can be deadly on the road, but it doesn’t have to be if motorists make safe decisions.”

Of the 13 deaths during the last week, five were in the metro (all Hennepin County), and eight were in the greater Minnesota counties of Becker, Blue Earth (two deaths), Brown, Carlton, Isanti, Rock and Redwood. Six of 13 people killed were ages 30 and younger.

The state’s traffic safety efforts are driven by its core traffic safety initiative, Toward Zero Deaths.