Hold the Phone! Distracted Driving Enforcement Campaign Kicks Off Monday

(KNSI) — Driving along in your automobile, if your phone’s in your hand behind the wheel, chances are you’re going to get to meet one of Minnesota’s finest as the Department of Public Safety kicks off its distracted driving enforcement campaign.

Texting, talking, emailing, devouring a sloppy, delicious cheeseburger — anything but paying attention to the road — could result in a ticket and a hefty fine.

From April 1st through April 30th, hundreds of law enforcement officers across the state are stepping up enforcement to educate drivers about the hands-free law and crack down on other distracted driving behaviors. The hands-free law means hands-free. Drivers are allowed to make calls, text, listen to podcasts or music, and get directions using voice commands or single-touch activation, but they cannot hold their phone. Accessing or posting on social media, streaming videos, checking the game score, or Googling information on a device while driving is against the law in Minnesota, even in hands-free mode.

The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) warns: “Hands-free is not necessarily distraction-free.”

“Simply put, a two-ton vehicle with a distracted driver behind the wheel can steal a life,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson. “Don’t fool yourself. You’re distracted anytime you shift your attention from driving. It can be challenging, but for everyone’s safety, focus on driving.”

Tickets for distracted driving are $100 or more, including court fees, for a first offense and $300 or more, including court costs, for a second or subsequent offense. Violating the hands-free law and causing a crash could be a felony if someone is injured or killed.

Preliminary figures for Minnesota show distracted driving contributed to one in 11 crashes from 2019-2023 and an average of 29 deaths and 146 life-changing injuries a year from 2019-2023.

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