State Patrol catches more than 1,000 texting drivers during crackdown
The Minnesota State Patrol says too many drivers are using Snapchat or texting while driving.
A recent two-week enforcement effort nabbed 1,017 people for distracted driving. Last year, 972 citations were issued over half that amount of time.
"The numbers during our two-week campaign show some people are getting the message, especially when looking at the numbers from the previous year," said Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety Directory Donna Berger.
But State Patrol Lt. Tiffani Nielson said too many people still think it's OK to look at their phone while driving.
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"I think a lot of people think they can kind of get into a zone, they just drive the same way every day. But that's not being engaged with what's going on around you," she said. "Those things can cause something to occur that could injure or kill another driver or yourself.
"We want drivers to be alert, put the phones away and not ever find themselves having to face criminal charges or a civil lawsuit for a wrongful death."
More than 300 law enforcement agencies across the state took part in the two-week enforcement effort last month.
The State Patrol said about 6,000 drivers were cited for using their phones while driving in all of 2016.