By Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes
Every five seconds, a vehicle crashes on a U.S. roadway, and every 12 minutes, someone dies as a result. Everyone has heard and seen information about the dangers of drinking and driving, which has been a major issue on our roads for many years, but one of the fastest growing safety issues on our roads today is distracted driving. Per the United States Department of Transportation, April is national distracted awareness driving month.
What is distracted driving? There are many different types of distractions that impact driving, including visual (examples include: activities such as checking your GPS or navigation system, looking to see what song is playing on the radio, searching for mirror or temperature controls, or looking for lost items on the floor of your vehicle), manual (examples include: distractions that cause you to take your hands off of the wheel, such as eating, drinking, smoking, checking your phone, adjusting the radio, applying make-up, or setting a destination in your vehicle’s in-dash navigation system) and cognitive (examples include: anything from talking to other passengers in the vehicle to road rage or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Stress and fatigue are also factors).
As drivers spend more and more time in their vehicles, attempting to multitask from behind the wheel, almost any activity can be potentially distracting. Even routine things such as talking to passengers, eating, or talking on cell phones can be dangerous distractions for drivers. Here’s a simple way to think about it: if something requires your hands, your eyes, or your attention while you’re driving, it’s a distraction. Handheld and hands-free phone calls, texts, emails, and social media, passengers, snacks, and even built-in vehicle touchscreens are just some of the distractions fighting for your attention on the road.
Did you know that if you took your eyes off the road for only five seconds at a speed of 60 mph you would travel 440 feet during that time, considerably more than the length of a football field.
With Minnesota’s “Hands-Free” law, it’s illegal for drivers to read, send texts and emails, and access the web while the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic. That includes sitting at a stoplight or stop sign. The first ticket is more than $120, which includes the fine plus court fees.