LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES LAUNCH STATEWIDE DISTRACTED DRIVING CAMPAIGN

Law enforcement agencies across Minnesota are launching a statewide distracted driving campaign this month for Distracted Driving Awareness month.  The agencies will be joined today (Wednesday) by family members who’ve lost loved ones to distracted driving crashes.  Shakopee Mayor Matt Lehman says his family’s life changed forever after his daughter-in-law Ashley died from injuries sustained in a Scott County crash last year.  Between 2020 and 2026, distracted driving led to over 33,000 crashes and 162 deaths statewide.  Officials remind drivers – handsfree is the law, with fines starting at 100-dollars and felony charges possible if someone is hurt or killed.  One of the highways that will be focused on is Highway 169, one of Minnesota’s highways with a higher than average percentage of crashes due to distracted driving.