Increased Number of Patrol Cars Being Hit

The Minnesota State Patrol is reminding all drivers to watch out for patrol cars out on the road.  The increased snow and ice has a lot more need for them out there. As BringMetheNews reported:

“Since Jan. 1, we’ve had 13 state patrol squads struck, which is a significant increase from what we would normally see,” Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol told the station.

The incidents include four squad cars being hit in the span of a few days in the Twin Cities area in mid-January, and a three-car accident on I-94 near Highway 55 in Golden Valley Jan. 31 that injured a trooper.

Roeske says the alarming increase is due to the weather, but sometimes it happens in conditions that aren’t all that extreme. He tells WCCO when there are “minor snowfalls, 2 to 5 inches,” it’s “a much worse situation for us because it’s not enough to slow anybody down but it is enough to make the roads quite slippery.”

These are officers who are on the roads doing their jobs. Protecting society and doing their work in full uniform with lights going. I have had the honor on a number of occasions to represent some of Minnesota’s finest. Usually, they are hit by cars going too fast and not giving them the room they need.

Minnesota law requires all cars to move over one lane when emergency vehicles are on the road. It’s pretty simple to keep those actions in mind. While the law doesn’t directly require a reduction in speed , it’s the safe thing to do and it is taking into consideration the conditions at the time.

If it’s wintry weather and the emergency vehicles are dealing with a car in the ditch, consider for a minute how the car got there. It’s probably a case of the road itself being especially slippery in the very same area. A couple of times a year, we will be involved in layered car accidents where one car hits another and within the next ten minutes, two or three more impacts take place. A good look out and slowing down will make a difference. Also if you are in an accident, make sure you clear yourself and all passengers away from the dangers of oncoming cars.