(St. Paul, MN) – Traffic fatalities increased in 2018 from the previous year, according to data released by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

The numbers were reported in the Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2018, an annual summary of traffic crashes derived from law enforcement reports and published by MNDPS.

There were 381 fatalities on Minnesota highways in 2018, compared to 358 in 2017.  Among those killed was young, pregnant wife who died after a distracted truck driver rear-ended her vehicle.   A driver who is accused of streaming videos on his phone also allegedly killed a construction worker who left a wife behind.  And another young man lost his life after his horse buggy was struck by a drunk hit-and-run driver.

Despite the grim report, DPS says there has been a 4 percent decrease in traffic deaths in the last five years.

The top contributing factors to traffic-related fatalities were speed, failing to buckle up, impaired driving, and distracted driving.

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