More than 1,000 Texting Citations Issued as Drivers Continue to Focus on Distractions

Over 72 citations handed out per day during the two week period

ST. PAUL, Minn. – From Snapchatting to shopping on Amazon while behind the wheel, more than 1,000 drivers made the choice to focus on activities other than driving during the statewide extra distracted enforcement period from April 10-23, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

More than 300 agencies participated and handed out 1,017 citations to drivers for texting while driving and 1,517 seat belt violations, this compared to 972 texting tickets for a single week enforcement period in 2016.

Around 72 citations were handed out daily during the two-week campaign this year.

Overall in 2016, law enforcement cited nearly 6,000 drivers for texting, a 251 percent increase since 2012.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety coordinates the extra enforcement and awareness campaign to influence driving choices and prevent tragedy.

The list of citations by agency can be found online.

Violations observed included:

• In Elk River, police stopped three juveniles for reading text messages from their parents
• Many stopped for Snapchatting
• A driver who failed to stop for a pedestrian admitted to being distracted by a chicken he was holding in his lap
• A trooper stopped a person near Eveleth for shopping for cards on his phone while driving
• A trooper near Lengby found a driver making an NBA fantasy draft list on his phone while driving