Three-Week Campaign To Stop Distracted Driving Will Start Later This Month

Distracted driving-related crashes in Minnesota claim an average of 45 lives each year and contribute to 204 life-changing injuries, causing a lifetime of grief and pain for families and untold stories of what could have been.

In an effort to increase awareness and change dangerous behaviors, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) will launch a three-week extra distracted driving enforcement campaign across the state. The extra enforcement campaign will start April 8th, and will run until the end of the month.

Below are more statistics on why the Minnesota Department of Public Safety is starting this campaign.

• More than 60,000 crashes were distracted driving-related from 2014 – 2018 (preliminary), contributing to nearly one in five crashes in Minnesota.
• Distracted driving contributes to an average of 45 deaths and 204 life-changing injuries a year (2014 –2018 preliminary).
• Statewide texting citations climbed 30 percent from 2017 to 2018.
• Highway 12 Safety Coalition citation numbers (January 2018 – March 31, 2019)
  -Texting – 82
  -Due Care (distracted-related) – 67