An estimated 380 people died in motor vehicle crashes in Minnesota in 2018 — 22 more than the previous year, according to preliminary data out Wednesday from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Alcohol was the leading cause cited in those crashes, factoring into the deaths of 121 people. The other leading causes of deadly crashes were speeding, motorists not wearing seat belts and distracted driving, the DPS said.
The numbers show that Minnesotans need to make a concerted effort to make safe driving choices when getting behind the wheel, said Mike Hanson, director of the agency's Office of Traffic Safety.
"No more multi-tasking, no more getting behind [the wheel] when you are impaired, no more speeding because you are in a rush and no more excuses about not buckling up," he said. "We can stop the preventable deaths on our roads and save lives."
While the 2018 total is higher than it was in 2017, it's lower than many years in the past decade, when Minnesota's crash deaths sometimes totaled more than 400 a year.
Men accounted for 70 percent, or 266, of the fatalities in 2018, the DPS said.
The people killed included 58 motorcyclists, 42 pedestrians and seven bicyclists.
October was the deadliest month with 46 fatalities, followed by September with 42 and July with 40. March had the fewest vehicle crash deaths with 18.
