North Dakota
Why is driving deadlier on North Dakota roads in the summer?
BISMARCK — With serious and fatal crashes consistently rolling in during the 100 deadliest days on the road between Memorial Day and Labor Day, North Dakota safety leaders are cautioning drivers about the “false sense of security” bright summer days can spark.
That sense of safety when the snow clears has earned North Dakota the unfortunate accolade of being named the state with the most reckless drivers by
Travel and Leisure.
While many point to high rates of intoxicated driving, cheap speeding tickets and the state’s rural road networks as reasons for crashes or reckless driving, officials in the state see a clear trend between summer driving conditions and catastrophic collisions.
During the 100 deadliest days, fatal crashes are twice as likely, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s 2022 Crash Summary
report.
Since the end of May, there have been nearly 50 serious-injury or fatal crashes statewide, according to a Forum analysis of reports from the North Dakota Highway Patrol. Approximately one-third of those crashes were fatal, surpassing last year’s numbers at this point in the year.
Several of those crashes involved motorcyclists not wearing helmets and drivers or passengers not using seat belts.
A recent crash near Jamestown that left two children dead,
as well as the driver and another child critically injured, has officials emphasizing the risks of summer driving. The mother of the two boys said they were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
Combining risk factors like not using restraints or safety gear with faster summer driving speeds can be a recipe for disaster.
“The clear roads and the good weather conditions often give people a false sense of security. They know that they can travel faster,” said Karin Mongeon, director of NDDOT’s Highway Safety Division.
“Really, the winter weather in North Dakota slows people down,” she said.
Mongeon works closely with Vision Zero, a government initiative created in 2018 aiming to decrease statewide fatalities by preventing reckless driving behaviors.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
The program prioritizes areas of concern based on statewide data submitted by county law enforcement. Prominent dangerous behaviors include drunken driving, lack of seat belt use and speeding.
Mongeon said that although any number above zero is devastating, there has been a decrease in road-related deaths in North Dakota since the initiative began.
From 2017 to 2022, fatalities decreased by over 15%, dipping below 100 and the national average for the first time in decades, according to the 2022 NDDOT crash summary. Of the 98 fatalities in 2022, 69% of people were not wearing seat belts, 38% of crashes were alcohol-related, 31% involved speed and or aggressive driving and 48% involved lane departures.
Contributed / North Dakota Department of Transportation
A 2023 report is set to be released in September, which will denote 106 deaths. Despite the spike, Mongeon said she anticipates the downward trend to continue.
Education and outreach have proven to be vital components of Vision Zero, according to Sgt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse, the Highway Patrol’s safety and education officer.
Schools can designate themselves as Vision Zero schools, leaving it up to the students to pick their initiative, like distracted driving or wearing seat belts. Coordinators recruit by attending community events and sending representatives to school board meetings.
The Highway Patrol also recently began releasing crash information regularly on social media. Crash reports are also available on
the agency’s website.
“We’ve noticed that if we attach a face and a name and put all of our information in one place, that it is making a difference,” Clawson Huibregtse said.
“We live in such a great state; there’s responsible people driving every single day making good decisions, but we want people to be aware of the reality of what’s on the road and what our troopers see every day,” she said.
Another Vision Zero approach to safer roads involves physically rebuilding them.
Wider center and shoulder lines, roundabouts in place of intersections and more rumble strips are some projects keeping state engineers like Justin Schlosser busy. Since implementing more roundabouts alone, overall crash numbers have decreased by a
third, according to an NDDOT traffic study published earlier this month.
“If there’s a crash (in a roundabout), you’re going to have some kind of sideswipe or rear-end, which are typically less severe injury crashes than an angle crash, usually the most severe type of crash you can get into,” Schlosser said.
“There’s just a bigger emphasis on driver safety and making sure that we don’t lose any lives on our roadways, but Vision Zero has definitely put a higher emphasis on that and helped us get in the right direction,” he added.
Clawson Huibregtse pointed to another factor in reckless driving — speeding tickets.
North Dakota has some of the lowest citation fees in the nation, with amounts ranging from $5 to $100, depending on the zone. Offenders traveling 16 to 20 mph above the speed limit, for example, pay $15. Thirty-six to 45 over is a $70 fine and 46 mph-plus results in a $100 fine, as stated in the
Century Code.
“It’s just not a deterrent at all for people to not behave recklessly when they know that there’s really no financial penalty,” Clawson Huibregtse said. “And it shouldn’t come down to that, it should come to the life and limb thing, but it just comes down to people’s pocketbooks sometimes.”
Increasing citation amounts has been struck down at past legislative sessions. But with more public interest in the issue, Clawson Huibregtse said she wouldn’t be surprised if the topic resurfaces this coming session.
“We hope, the more we work together across agencies, that we’re going to bring that number to zero, or as close as we can to zero,” she said.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) — The U.S. Space Force wants to build a $250 million space operations center at Grand Forks Air Force Base as part of President Trump’s 2027 defense budget request.
The facility would be about 180,000 square feet and built as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, designed to handle top-secret information. It would house highly classified missile-warning and missile-tracking operations, as well as the space data network.
The project would bring more than 100 Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office personnel to the base across two to three fully manned squadrons, according to North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer.
“This new project puts Grand Forks right at the center of what’s next in space operations,” Cramer said in a statement. “It speaks to the depth of our Airmen and Guardians’ expertise and why this base keeps getting tapped for the most important and modern missions.”
The facility builds on the low-Earth orbit satellite mission already at Grand Forks, which serves as the backbone of U.S. military communications. Hoeven worked to establish that mission and has been pushing to add missile-tracking and advanced fire-control capabilities.
The three-story facility will include a 500-person auditorium for secure briefings and conferences, as well as a dining area to support 24/7 operations, according to the Space Force.
Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, said he spoke with Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman about the proposal this week. He said he will work to secure funding through the annual appropriations process.
Design is expected to start later this year if Congress approves the funding.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
North Dakota has been on a roll recently on the recruiting trail, trying to add to their 2027 recruiting class. They did just that when they received a commitment from La Crosse (WI) Aquinas High School athlete Brady Lee on April 16.
“I committed because the coaching staff, the school, and the community made it the right fit for me,” Lee said.
He received his first offer from the Fighting Hawks on November 22, when he was in Grand Forks for the South Dakota State game, and met with head coach Eric Schmidt beforehand. Despite the UND setback that day, they made quite the impression on him.
“Coach Schmidt had me meet him on the sideline before their game against South Dakota State, and he basically told me I did everything they asked and then he offered me. The game was great, I loved the energy of the Alerus Center, and I got to watch my former teammate, Shane Willenbring, who plays for SDSU. The coaches made me feel like a priority, even though it was a huge match-up.”
The coaching staff was one of the main reasons he committed, and he was able to catch up with Schmidt and safeties coach Keaton Wilkerson when he made it out to practice on March 28.
“I love Coach Wilk and Coach Schmidt. They have made it clear to me that they are in my corner. When I was there at practice, they and the rest of the staff showed nothing but love for me, and it felt like I was at home.”
COMMITTED. #JYD @UNDfootball @Coach_SchmidtE @CoachWilk0 pic.twitter.com/G6NY5jMzeg
— Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) April 16, 2026
Recapping last season
Last season, Lee, who plays safety and wide receiver, was named an All-Region selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and an All-State Honorable Mention. He helped lead Aquinas to an 11-1 record and made it to the third round of the playoffs.
“The season went well. We had a tough loss at the end of the year, but we went 11-1. I had a slow start to the season, but things really picked up at the end of the year for me.”
That playoff loss still doesn’t sit well with Lee and the rest of the Blugolds, who still have it on their minds.
Had a great time coming back up to Grand Forks. UND never disappoints!!@UNDfootball @Coach_SchmidtE @CoachWilk0 @IsaacFruechte14 @ghaugii7 @TrevorOlson62 @JosephDotty14 @Thomas_Kiesau pic.twitter.com/2DADQJL9oH
— Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) July 25, 2025
“The offseason has been very well. My teammates and I have been grinding, no doubt about it. We definitely have unfinished business.”
The recruiting process is a different experience for every prospect, and it certainly was for Lee. In addition to the Fighting Hawks, he also had offers from North Dakota State and South Dakota.
“My recruitment was overwhelming, but it was still a blessing. I had a bunch of visits and some offers, but nowhere felt like North Dakota.”
Lee adds to a North Dakota 2027 class, which is currently rated No. 79 nationally by 247Sports, and includes three-star quarterback Caden Gutzmer, Andrew McGee, Jonah Cummings, Ethan Howey, Carson Wilson, and Marlowe Strain.
Updated Junior Season Highlights++
-6’2” 195: SAF/ATH — Brady Lee (@BradyLee834) February 17, 2026
-Allowed 1 catch as a junior
-1st team All-conference
-1st team All-tribune
-1st team All-region
-HM All-state pic.twitter.com/fGNaxFv6Dn
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Minnetonka (Minn.) quarterback Caden Gutzmer committed to North Dakota earlier this month.
Gutzmer, a higher three-star on Rivals and the Rivals Industry Ranking, is a significant addition for the Fighting Hawks and chose them over the presence of several other offers. Head coach Eric Schmidt and his staff had much to do with that.
“There are many reasons,” he said. “First being the entire coaching staff is very welcoming, and experienced. And with Coach Schmidt leading the way, the culture there is awesome. I have been to a lot of schools, but based on what I saw with UND, they are building a championship winning team in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. And lastly, the most important thing for me is having an opportunity to play. They really believe in developing players from high school. Could I possibly go to a bigger program, yes. But I don’t want to chase a logo to sit behind kids coming from the portal, you need to opportunity to prove it.”
Gutzmer knows that based on how UND recruits and develops though, that he will have healthy competition within his position group when he gets there.
“We went into depth about the quarterback room and plan,” he said. “Obviously I need to prove myself — everything is earned, and they have a strong quarterback room.”
With his recruitment now behind him, Gutzmer is working towards the ultimate goal for his senior season.
“The biggest focus for me this offseason is to continue to work on my speed and agility, and of course working with my QB coach on everything both physical and mental,” he said. “And get reps with my teammates. Two big goals for the season: stay healthy and win a 6A state championship.”
Gutzmer is ranked by Rivals as the No. 8 junior in Minnesota.
As a junior, he passed for 1,147 yards on 65-of-103 passing for ten touchdowns and zero interceptions.
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