Less than a week into the new year, 18 people have already died in traffic accidents.
The state patrol blames lack of seat belt use, alcohol, more impatient drivers and electronic distractions, but the biggest factor is speed.
"A little caution about speed limits in the winter time just because the speed limit is 55 and your doing 55 doesn't mean you're not going too fast,” says Lt. Tim Carnahan.
Carnahan says officers have pulled over more people for speeding this year than last year at this time, with the help of two new grants.
The grants allow for more on-duty patrols, which should combat the number of accidents.
