2017 was the safest year on Minnesota roads since 1943

In 2017, Minnesota saw the fewest road deaths in a calendar year for more than 70 years.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday that its preliminary figures show that 348 people died on state roads last year, the lowest it's been since 1943.

This it is putting down to a mixture of "education and enforcement efforts" as well as more people driving sober, wearing their seatbelt, sticking to speed limits and not getting distracted behind the wheel.

The numbers

Breakdown of 2017 fatalities

• 235 motor vehicle drivers/passengers.
• 52 motorcyclists.
• 38 pedestrians (down from 60 in 2016).
• 6 bicyclists.
• 17 who died in "other" vehicles.

Of the fatal incidents, 98 were alcohol-related, 16 distracted driving-related, 82 speed-related and 80 featuring car users not wearing seatbelts.

2017 fatalities by Month

Of those who lost their lives, 96 of them (28 percent) were female, and 252 were male.

2017 fatalities by age

How this compares to previous years