photo by  sirwiseowl
 

Have you ever looked in the rear view mirror to see flashing red lights and then realize,  after a quick downward glance at the speedometer, that- they are flashing for  you?

This scene is reenacted in states all across our land, night after night and day after day. These law officers take speeding seriously and they try to make sure that you do too. Sgt. Curt Mowers, public information officer with the State Patrol, says the old saying is true "speed kills."  "The faster you are going the worse the crash is going to be," he said.

 A speeder underestimates the time needed to slow down when something unexpected happens. Those who speed often have other bad habits, such as following too closely and failure to yield the right of way.

The National Safety Council says that for every 10 mph that you drive over 50 mph your chances of getting seriously injured or killed double. 

Capt. Mark Jonassen, Brainerd commander, estimates that his troopers issue about 5000 speeding citations a year for this area.  "Traffic is our bread and butter,"  Jonassen said.  That's our main duty - enforcing traffic laws."

How much bread and butter is worth:

• Speeding 1 to 10 mph over - $117
• Speeding 11 to 14 mph - $127
• Speeding 15 to 19 mph - $137
• Speeding 20 to 25 mph - $217
• Speeding 26 to 30 mph - $277
• Speeding 31 and above not endangering - $377