North Dakota Highway Patrol discusses alarming state driving statistics

FARGO, N.D. (KFGO-KVRR) – North Dakota Highway Patrol sargent Kristjan Helgoe says he was dismayed, but not surprised, to hear that according to a recent study by Lending Tree, North Dakota has the third-highest DUI rate in the country. “It’s something that we’re trying to battle as a whole, as a community, as a state,” Helgoe said. The Patrol has been trying to cut down on these incidents for years, more recently as part of their overarching Vision Zero initiative aimed at eliminating fatal vehicle crashes. That Lending Tree study also said that North Dakota has the tenth-most driving incidents – defined as including accidents, DUIs, and general citations – in the nation. Helgoe says some of that is due to large chunks of the state being entirely reliant on personal vehicles for transportation. “City of Fargo, we’re very fortunate, we have very good public transportation, ride shares, taxis. You move over to a Lisbon, North Dakota, seventy miles away – I don’t think they have a bus system.” he said. He’s hopeful that through continued law enforcement efforts – and education for the pre-driving generations – these long-running trends in the state can finally start to see some reversal. Friday, November 13 is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The North Dakota Department of Transportation is hosting a memorial service on that day at the State Capitol.