Police Cracking Down on Distracted Driving

(KNSI) — Distracted driving kills, and a new crackdown is aiming to deter a host of behaviors that take a driver’s eyes off the road. Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety is participating in a nationwide effort throughout the month of April. Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson says it’s a coordinated effort between local, county, and state agencies.

“For us specifically in Minnesota, obviously it would involve the Minnesota State Patrol, but we also partner with over 300 law enforcement agencies, including many in the Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns County areas that will also be participating.”

Cell phones are the most obvious form of distracted driving. Minnesota only allows for hands-free use while operating a vehicle. It could also include changing radio presets or other settings on a car’s electronic displays. Hanson says navigation aids are a big source of distraction as well. He recommends drivers set their route before shifting out of park, and have their phone or GPS device in a position that does not need to be moved while the car is in motion.

Distracted driving contributes to roughly one-in-five crashes that happen on streets in the state. That leads to thousands of injuries per year and dozens of deaths. Hanson says the real toll is probably undercounted.

“Somewhere between 20 and 30 people are still losing their lives on Minnesota roads, and that’s a real conservative number because that’s hard to prove in some cases.”

Tickets for violating Minnesota’s hands-free law start at $100 for the first offense. If someone dies because a driver is distracted and causes a crash, they could potentially be charged with felony counts, including homicide.

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