Posted By LeAnn Wallace

Every day last year an average 113 people died in motor vehicle accidents.

That's a lot of tragedy but this year Minnesota is seeing a decline in motorist deaths.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety attributes that to increased seat belt use and says even more people will be safe in winter driving months if some extra precautions are taken.

LeAnn Wallace reports.

As nighttime frost gave way to morning sun, slick roads were blamed for this scene on the Duluth side of Bong Bridge.

Traffic safety officials say drivers need to be especially cautious when temperatures drop below freezing.

"Generally people need to slow down for the weather conditions and the road conditions, they need to pay attention," says Cheri Marti, Minnesota Director of Traffic Safety.

Authorities say it may have been a drift in attention that caused the tragic accident in North Dakota this week that resulted in the deaths of three young women.

"I'm really gonna miss all 3 of them. Something's gonna be missing, but (moves foot in dirt, looking down) but we've just got to be strong."

The bodies of the three college softball players were found in their car at the bottom of a pond. The girls were known to be star–gazers and some say they may have lost their way while looking at the night sky.

Authorities say there was no indication of foul play or impaired driving.

But impaired driving causes more accidents than anything else in Minnesota.

Safety officials say there are some universal tips every driver should follow.

"Never drive impaired, drive that speed limit and always wear your belt," says Marti.

Another major cause of accidents is weather. It won't be long until 15–hundred MN–dot snow fighters climb into 8–hundred snow plows to clear roads this winter.

"We have this mantra to stay back and stay alive and that's something we encourage folks as they're driving on our road ways out there, really be careful with our plows," says Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation Tom Sorel.

An average of 93 crashes involve snowplows across the state each year. As winter approaches experts advise extra caution on the roads.

Traffic deaths in Wisconsin last month were tied for the lowest on record for the month of October.

40 people were killed in 38 traffic crashes last month, which tied the record low set in October of 1944.