A driver so distracted by their phone they failed to notice a deputy trying to pull them over and another cited for their sixth violation of the hands-free cell phone law, were just two of the dangerous behaviors encountered during a recent campaign in Minnesota.
During the statewide distracted driving initiative, held in April, 296 of the State’s law enforcement agencies reported 5,426 hands-free cell phone use citations.
“Too many drivers are choosing distractions over safety, putting everyone else on the road at risk,” said Mike Hansen, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
“It is reckless frustrating and can be deadly. The results of this campaign show that we still have a lot of work to do to keep people from using their cell phones while driving.”
Other noticeable incidents included a driver who was stopped for typing on a laptop while also holding a cell phone in heavy traffic, a motorist holding two phones while driving and a driver taking a photo of a squad car whilst stopped in traffic.
The campaign was coordinated by the OTS with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
