New Bill Would Ban Cellphone Use While Driving In Minnesota

At a press conference on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Mark Uglem, of Champlin and DFL Rep. Frank Hornstein of Minneapolis presented their bill to ban the use of cell phones while driving except for the use of a hands-free device.

“With our Hands Free bill we are addressing an all-too-common problem on Minnesota roads,” said Rep. Uglem in a statement. “We have seen too many lives and families destroyed by tragic accidents caused by distracted driving. Something has to be done to make our roads safer and to save lives.”

This bill would have Minnesota join fourteen other states and the District of Columbia in banning hand-held cellphone use while driving. Minnesota is already one of 46 states to ban texting while driving, according to a news release.

“This bill will save lives and make our roads safer,” said Hornstein. “Distracted driving is a growing and urgent problem that the legislature must address.”

The Minnesota Safety Council President Paul Aasen also spoke at the press conference in favor of the bill. Calling the bill’s ban of hand-held use a “step forward” and was hopeful the ban will make Minnesota’s roads safer.

Devices that are exclusively for navigational purposes will be exempt from the hands free ban as will be first responders and someone contacting emergency assistance.

Distracted Driving

Distracted or inattentive driving is when a driver engages in any activity that might distract them from the primary task of driving — and increases their risk of crashing.

Each year in Minnesota, distracted or inattentive driving is a factor in one in four crashes, resulting in at least 70 deaths and 350 serious injuries, according to the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

OTS estimates these numbers are vastly underreported due to law enforcement’s challenge in determining distraction as a crash factor.

Image via Steven Damron, Flickr, used under Creative Commons