If you follow our blog at all, odds are you were aware of the recent distracted driving crackdown that took place during a two-week stretch in April. Hopefully you listened to our warning and were able to avoid a citation, but the recently released statistics show that a number of drivers were caught during the enforcement period. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety, more than 1,000 people were ticketed for distracted driving during the crackdown.
Distracted Driving in Minnesota
1,000 drivers ticketed during a two-week period is a lot, but it’s actually a sizable decline from last year. Minnesota police ran a similar enforcement back in 2016 where they handed out 970 tickets for distracted driving, but that was only a one-week campaign. If those numbers were projected over two weeks, than the 2017 campaign handed out nearly half as many tickets as last year’s crackdown.
“The numbers during our two-week campaign show some people are getting the message, especially when looking at the numbers from the previous year,” said Donna Berger, director of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety.
However, Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nelson said far too many Minnesotans are looking at their cell phones when their attention should be focused on the road.
“I think a lot of people think they can kind of get into a zone, they just drive the same way every day. But that’s not being engaged with what’s going on around you,” she said. “Those things can cause something to occur that could injure or kill another driver or yourself. We want drivers to be alert, put the phones away and not ever find themselves having to face criminal charges or a civil lawsuit for a wrongful death.”
Texting While Driving In Minnesota
The Minnesota State Patrol cited 6,000 individuals for cell phone-related distracted driving in 2016, but far more people are getting away with the crime than are getting caught. Considering police caught 1,000 drivers during a two-week stretch when they had extra enforcement on the road looking for distracted drivers, it stands to reason that police could easily ticket more than 20,000 drivers over the course of the year if they continued to keep a watchful eye out for distracted drivers.
A first citation for texting and driving is only $50, but subsequent violations cost $225 and they can lead to insurance increases and the potential loss of your license, so consider talking to a lawyer if you end up earning a few tickets. We can help you keep your license and avoid paying excessive fines. For more information about how we challenge distracted driving citations in Minnesota, click here to learn about our free case evaluation option.
