In a focused push towards making our streets safer, Saint Paul Police Department recently dedicated a team to target distracted driving, a prevalent issue that imperils everyone on the road. In just a five-hour operation last week, officers pulled over 125 vehicles and cited 79 drivers for not adhering to Minnesota’s hands-free law. These efforts were part of a larger campaign aligned with #NationalDistractedDrivingAwarenessMonth, which spanned the end of April.
The Saint Paul Police Department shared their operations and results on their official Facebook page, reinforcing their stance with a stern reminder: “We don’t want to catch you. We don’t want to cite you. So please, just put down your phone and drive safe.” It is evident that law enforcement doesn’t relish in penalizing motorists but prioritizes public safety over the temporary convenience of drivers glued to their devices.
Distracted driving encompasses a range of activities that divert attention from safe driving, including phone use, which has emerged as a leading factor in traffic accidents and fatalities. Minnesota’s hands-free law, which forbids drivers from holding phones and other electronic devices while driving, came into effect on August 1, 2019. Despite the law, compliance remains inconsistent, as the focused operation by the Saint Paul Police Department unveils…