No joke: Distracted driving crackdown begins April 1

In an effort to curb distracted driving fatalities and injuries, the Minnesota State Patrol has announced extra enforcement will patrol the roads from April 1-30.

According to an announcement, distracted driving contributed to more than 39,000 crashes from 2017-2021, and an average of 28 deaths and 161 serious injuries per year. In 2021 preliminary figures show distracted driving contributed to 2,165 injuries and 26 deaths.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety will coordinate the statewide campaign with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

In addition to ticketing, the program includes advertising across Minnesota in support of the Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety initiative.