St. Paul, MN — A driver so distracted by their phone they failed to notice a deputy trying to pull them over. Another cited for their sixth violation of the hands-free cell phone law. A driver even caught for using both a laptop and phone while in traffic. Those were just a few of the dangerous behaviors Minnesota law enforcement officers encountered during the April distracted extra enforcement and awareness campaign. 

During the statewide campaign, 296 Minnesota law enforcement agencies reported 5,426 hands-free cell phone use citations.

“We hear it from drivers constantly — they are frustrated by selfish and entitled behavior behind the wheel. Too many drivers are choosing distractions over safety, putting everyone else on the road at risk. It is reckless, frustrating, and can be deadly,” said Mike Hanson, director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “The results of this campaign show that we still have a lot of work to do to keep people from using their cell phones while driving.”

The distracted driving campaign ran from April 1 through April 30 and was coordinated by OTS with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The campaign included extra enforcement from law enforcement agencies statewide. View the full list of participating agencies. 

Highest number of distracted driving citations made by metro agencies

• St. Paul Police Department: 912
• Minnesota State Patrol West Metro: 311
• Minnesota State Patrol East Metro: 205
• St. Anthony Police Department: 98

Highest number of distracted driving citations made by greater Minnesota agencies

• Mankato Department of Public Safety: 383
• Minnesota State Patrol Virginia: 285
• Minnesota State Patrol St. Cloud: 141
• Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office: 132
• Minnesota State Patrol Duluth: 111

Notable incidents of distracted driving

• In St. Cloud, police stopped a driver for typing on a laptop while also holding a cell phone in heavy traffic.
• Elk River police stopped a driver who was holding two phones while driving.
• Elk River police cited another driver for taking a photo of a squad car while stopped in traffic.
• Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office said one semi driver was so distracted they did not notice the deputy trying to pull them over until the next county. When the deputy finally got the driver to stop, they cited them for use of a phone while driving. 

One day extra impaired enforcement on April 20

This year, for the first time, OTS also implemented a coordinated enforcement and awareness campaign on April 20 using funds from NHTSA. The day is often associated with cannabis use, but law enforcement focused on any kind of impairment. Driving while impaired by any substance can be deadly.  People should always plan a sober ride. During the one-day campaign, OTS used targeted digital media outreach to raise awareness, and law enforcement had the option to participate in extra enforcement. Officers arrested 48 drivers for driving while impaired (DWI).

Highest number of DWI arrests made by a metro agency

• Minneapolis Police Department: 3
• Minnesota State Patrol West Metro: 3
• Crystal Police Department: 3
• Minnesota State Patrol East Metro: 2
• South St. Paul Police Department: 2
• West St. Paul Police Department: 2
• Woodbury Police Department: 2

Highest number of DWI arrests made by a greater Minnesota agency 

• Duluth Police Department: 3
• Minnesota State Patrol Duluth: 3
• Rochester Police Department: 2