Minnesota's New Campaign to Cut Down on Distracted Driving

September 02, 2010 (Press-News.org) Nationwide, distracted driving results in nearly 6,000 deaths and over 500,000 injuries every year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. In Minnesota, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that driver distraction is a leading factor in 25 percent of all accidents, resulting in 70 deaths and 350 injuries every year.

A Focus on Education and Enforcement

In an effort to better address the issue of distracted driving, DPS recently launched a new enforcement and educational campaign. Minnesota has recently adopted a Distracted Driver Awareness day. This day is called "Distraction Free Day." Law enforcement agencies throughout Minnesota participated in the campaign by increasing patrols and enforcement measures designed to limit driver distraction from cell phones, text messaging and other forms of distracted driving. The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety is also increasing radio and print public service announcements throughout the year to educate drivers about the deadly dangers of distracted driving.

These campaigns are part of the larger Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) traffic safety program, a partnership of numerous nationwide traffic and law enforcement agencies. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the number of traffic deaths to fewer than 400 in 2010. In 2009, there were 421 traffic fatalities in Minnesota; 70 lives could have prevented if the driver's were not distracted while driving.

Types of Distractions

According to distraction.gov, a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving comes in three main forms.
- Visual - taking your eyes off the road
- Cognitive - losing concentration
- Manual - taking your hands off the wheel

The USDOT cites texting while driving as one of the most dangerous activities a person can do in a vehicle because it involves taking your eyes off the road, losing concentration on driving and taking your hands off the wheel. Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a ban on texting while driving into law in 2008, making Minnesota one of the first states to enact such a ban. Nationwide, thirty states will have texting bans in place by the end of 2010 according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association.

In addition, teenage drivers under 18 years of age are prohibited from using a cell phone at any time in Minnesota. A recent survey by AAA notes that 9 out of 10 teenage drivers will send or receive text messages or talk on a cell phone while driving, despite knowing that this behavior increases the risk of causing a collision that could result in injury to another person.

Article provided by Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A.
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