2017 sees lowest number of Minnesota traffic deaths since 1943
(KMSP) - Some good news from 2017: the number of traffic deaths on Minnesota roads was at its lowest point since 1943, with just 348 people dying in car crashes in the past 12 months.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety also says no fatalities have been reported since ringing in the new year, an anomaly that stands in contrast to past years.
Nearly one-third of the deaths included alcohol as a factor, with 82 speed-related deaths and 80 that included motorists without a seatbelt on.