VIDEO: Authorities Crack Down on Distracted Driving

State traffic safety officials and law enforcement agencies launched a distracted driving education campaign this week anchored by increased enforcement today, April 19.

The effort, coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety, will include ramped-up patrols from nearly 400 city and county agencies, partnering with the State Patrol.

The campaign will include paid media as well as support from the Minnesota Safety Council and the Minnesota Teen Coalition to encourage high school students to push anti-distracted driving messages through social media channels and at schools.

Driver distraction is a contributing factor in one-quarter of all Minnesota vehicle crashes annually — and resulting in 208 deaths and nearly 26,000 injuries in the last three years.

In Washington County, 5 of the 31 traffic deaths (16.1 percent) from 2008-2010 were the result of distracted driving, according to the Department of Public Safety. Distracted driving in Washington County was also a factor in 19 of 110 serious injury crashes (17.3 percent) and 1,065 of the 3,448 (30.9 percent) injury crashes.

In Minnesota, it is illegal for drivers to read, compose or send texts/emails, and access the Web on a wireless device while the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic — even at a stoplight/stop sign, or stuck in traffic.

It is also illegal for drivers under age 18 to use a cell phone at any time.

Minnesota’s “no texting” law was enacted in August 2008 and citations have increased each year:

In five months of 2008 law enforcement cited 93 distracted drivers; in 2009 294 were cited; in 2010 518 distracted drivers were ticketed; and in 2011 ticketed 784 drivers.

Distractions cause drivers to react more slowly to traffic conditions or events, such as a vehicle stopping or pulling out in traffic. A University of Utah study reports that using a cell phone while driving, whether hands-free or hand-held, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having an alcohol-concentration level of 0.08 percent.

And when texting, drivers take their eyes off the road for up to 4.6 out of every 6 seconds — equivalent to traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph hours without looking up.

DPS underscores driver distractions include reaching for items, fiddling with radio/music/vehicle controls, eating/drinking, dealing with rowdy passengers, grooming and more.

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Tips to Minimize Distractions:

• Cell phones — turn off cell phones, or place them out of reach to avoid the urge to dial/answer or read or send a text. If a passenger is present, ask them to handle calls/texts.
• Music and other controls — pre-program favorite radio stations and arrange music in an easy-to-access spot. Adjust mirrors and AC/heat before traveling, or ask a passenger to assist.
• Navigation — designate a passenger to serve as a co-pilot to help with directions. If driving alone, map out destinations in advance, and pull over to study a map or program the GPS.
• Eating and drinking — try to avoid food/beverage (especially messy foods) and have drinks secured.
• Children — teach children the importance of good behavior in a vehicle; do not underestimate how distracting it can be to tend to children while driving.
• Passengers should speak up to stop drivers from distracted driving behavior.

If making/receiving a call to/from someone driving, ask them to call back when they are not driving.

What examples of distracted driving have you seen on the roads? Share your stories in the comment section.