Road traffic safety is one of the biggest priorities of local governments, with constant updates to road traffic laws and policies in the works in order to prevent traffic fatalities, and this state’s ‘Vision Zero’ is one such ambitious update for residents. With road safety rules and regulations largely being left up to states to decide how they want to implement such rules, depending on where you live in the US, will significantly impact the requirements you must adhere to on the road.
Road traffic safety remains a large priority
When it comes to keeping residents safe on the road, curbing speeding is a top priority for this initiative. Speeding is related to approximately a third of all road accident-related injuries and fatalities, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Speeding is a significant safety hazard not only for yourself, but to other road users. Not only do you have less time to react to other vehicles on the road as well but the risk of fatality in a crash is directly proportional to the speed you impact another vehicle or obstacle.
To assist local law enforcement prevent drivers from speeding, severe penalties are often put in place as well as other interventions in order to prevent drivers from speeding. Major fines proportional to the speed you were driving over the speed limit exist in every state, and many states have decided to set up intervention programs with the assistance of speeding cameras to detect drivers going over the speed limit.
New fines in this state as part of ‘Vision Zero’
In the state of Minnesota, local governments and law enforcement in Minneapolis have been working hard on their ‘Vision Zero’ program- an initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic incidents in the city. To assist with this, new speeding cameras are being introduced in the state, as well as harsher speeding fines for drivers who are caught driving over the speed limit.
“With these traffic safety cameras, we’re making clear that speeding and reckless driving won’t be tolerated—especially near our schools and areas with lots of foot traffic,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a statement.
The pilot program has seen the cameras already rolled out in the City of Minneapolis in the following locations, with plans to hopefully expand:
- 3rd St. N near 1st Ave N. in Downtown
- Fremont Ave N near W. Broadway Ave in Near North
- 18th Ave NE near Central Ave NE in the Northeast
- Chicago Ave near Franklin Ave E in Ventura Village
- Nicollet Ave near 46th St. W in King Field/ Tangletown
The city joins the likes of other locations, such as Pennsylvania, in implementing automated technology to help monitor and crack down on speeding.
Harsher fines to eliminate speeding
In addition to the new cameras in the city, if you are caught speeding, you will be subject to harsh fines and penalties. At your first offence, you will only receive a warning. For the second offence, if you are speeding 10mph or more over the speed limit, you will be fined $40. This fine doubles to $80 if you speed 20mph or more over the speed limit.
If you are issued a fine for speeding and it is your first time doing such an offence, you are permitted to take a free traffic safety class to cancel out the fine owed. However, you will be liable to pay the fine should you be caught committing a speeding offence again. Initiatives like this to cancel debt for traffic-related offences have been seen across other states as part of broader initiatives to help residents have their licenses reinstated and to prevent the unfair targeting of low-income drivers.
