Law Enforcement to Crackdown on Distracted Driving Next Week

More than 300 law enforcement agencies throughout Minnesota will be cracking down on distracted driving starting next Monday. 

Locally, the Duluth Police Department will conduct overtime patrols on Minnesota roads in an effort to reduce distracted driving. 

The campaign will run through April 17 statewide and is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety. 

In Minnesota, it is illegal for drivers to read, compose or send texts, emails, and access the web while driving.  

Drivers can face up to a $50 fine plus court fees for a first offense and $275 in fines, plus court fees for a second offense. 

If you injure or kill someone because of texting and driving, you can face a felony charge of criminal vehicular operation or homicide. 

In a five period from 2010 to 2014, 328 people lost their lives and 1,138 people suffered life-changing injuries in distracted driving-related crashes.    More than 86,000 crashes were distracted driving-related from 2010-2014, contributing to one in four crashes.  During the 2015 distracted driving extra enforcement campaign, law enforcement cited 909 drivers for texting and driving, an 80 percent increase from the year before.