It’s been a year since Minnesota passed their hands-free cellphone law, and based on the results from the recent crackdown, it’s clear that motorists still aren’t getting the message to put their phone down behind the wheel.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced that 1,400 hands-free cellphone citations were handed out in the first eight days of this month as part of a new campaign called “Drive Smart and Park the Phone.” The goal of the crackdown is to help educate patients on how quickly a distraction can lead to a crash, injury or traffic fatality, and to get drivers to put the phone down whenever they get behind the wheel.
The Minnesota DPS also announced the number of hands-free cellphone citations that were given out in the first year of the law being in place. In total, officers handed out 20,811 hands-free cell phone citations since August 1, 2019. The DPS also announced some other distracted driving statistics:
- In 2019, distracted driving contributed to 3,279 injuries and 32 deaths on the roads, and that number is likely higher given that details about some accidents are hard to come by.
- Distracted driving leads to an average of 40 deaths and 195 life-changing injuries each year Minnesota.
- Distracted driving contributed to more than 50,000 automobile crashes between 2015 and 2019.
Hands-Free Cellphone Citation Cost
A first citation for violating the hands-free cellphone law in Minnesota will run you $120, but total costs could be much higher if your automobile insurance costs also increase because of the citation. Subsequent tickets will run you $300, and that will almost assuredly come with increased insurance costs.
And those are just the base fines for getting caught without causing an accident. If you’re using your cell phone and cause an accident, with or without injuries, you can face even bigger criminal charges. If you cause injury or death, you’re looking at significant jail time, so make sure you put the phone down.
Remember, you don’t need to be openly texting or sending an email behind the wheel in order to be in violation of the law. You’re only allowed to use your phone with single-touch activation, meaning you can answer a call or get directions on your phone, but only if you can do it with one touch. If you’re typing in an address or holding your phone in your hand while you answer a call on speakerphone, you’re in violation of the law, so put the phone in a hands-free mount, connect to your bluetooth and save the texting until you reach your destination to avoid a citation.
We’ve handled many hands-free cellphone citations, and we can help you if you end up in a sticky situation behind the wheel. If you want to learn more about whether it’s in your best interest to contest a hands-free cellphone citation, set up a consultation with one of our traffic attorneys today. To learn more, click here or give us a call at (952) 224-2277.
