Troopers from the State Patrol will join other officers and deputies statewide to rigorously enforce the speed limit on various roadways. Area law enforcement agencies participating in Safe & Sober this year include the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Depart-ment and the police departments of Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Breezy Point, Crosslake, Deerwood, Cuyuna and Crosby.

Seven days and locations for this project are specifically selected by officers in each region based on the public events and activities in those areas. The dates or the locations will not be announced to the public.

Motorists are being asked to slow down and to drive within the posted speed limit or according to the conditions of the roadway.

State Patrol Sgt. Curt Mowers says, "Know the speed limit where you are driving, and assess the conditions block by block, and mile by mile, so you can adjust your speed accordingly. You should not be concerned about getting caught by the police, but you should be concerned about getting caught in a crash."

Mowers said, "Speeding is the number one contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes. For every 10 miles per hour over 50 miles per hour that you drive, your chances of being seriously injured or killed if you are involved in a crash doubles. That means if you are in a crash and were driving 70 miles per hour, your chances of getting seriously injured or killed are four times greater. Getting into a crash at 80 miles per hour would mean that risk climbs to eight times greater. Speeding kills, and more speed kills more."

Seven Days of Speed is part of the ongoing Safe & Sober program, which is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In Minnesota, Safe & Sober is administered by the Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety.