New Report Reminds Minnesotans About Dangers of Distracted Driving

We’ve all heard of the dangers of distracted driving. For those of us who are of a certain age, I’m 53, distracted driving used to mean stopping rifling through your cassette case for the next tape you wanted to listen to while going down the road.  

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It also could have meant, don’t let passengers in your car draw your attention away from what is happening on the road around you. 

But these are only memories for those of us who remember that time of our lives because today, distracted driving means something else entirely.  

The distracted driving term lends itself to the use of our cell phones behind the wheel. We’ve all done it, at least a few times, but because we got away with it doesn’t mean we should keep doing it. 

And the Minnesota State Highway Patrol has brought forth some data to make that point even further. The Patrol says that between 2019 and 2023 there were 29th deaths and 146 serious injuries per year in the state.  

These injuries were not only serious, but often the person that sustained the injury had their life altered permanently from that injury. 

WCCO TV reports that as of December 17th, there were 27 deaths caused by distracted driving in 2024. Minnesota is a “hands free state”, meaning you can’t hold your phone while driving unless you are dialing 911.  

You should either use your phone on speaker phone or Bluetooth while you’re driving. That pertains to talking, but one of the bigger threats to drivers is texting behind the wheel.  

Texting is the primary form of communication for so many people, that it’s hard for them to realize that if the conversation is that important they should either just call the person, keeping in mind to use the handsfree features or just pull over to the side of the road until the message has been sent. 

Eating behind the wheel and being distracted by passengers is still a concern that drivers need to be mindful of as well.  

If most of us were honest, it’s tricky enough getting around on the roads as it is, but adding in having our attention taken off the road by our cell phones isn’t worth the risk of what the outcome could be.