FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT     

December 27, 2005                                                                               Dennis Smith 651-282-3955
                                                                                                            Nathan Bowie 651-296-9754

NEW TEEN DRIVERS:
NO DIALING AND DRIVING COME JAN. 1, 2006

ST. PAUL — The sounds of ring tones will be “answered” by Jackson County & Minnesota law enforcement if learning drivers are caught dialing and driving, starting Jan. 1, 2006. Roughly 400,000 drivers with learning permits or provisional licenses — a majority of whom are teens — will face the new law and its potential fine of up to $100 plus court costs in the New Year.

The law was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in July 2005.

Cell phone use is one of the biggest distractions for motorists. In 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cited cell phone use as a factor in 2,600 traffic deaths. In Minnesota, it is conservatively estimated that at least 14,000 motorists are on the phone and behind the wheel at any given time.

“Driving is a multi-tasking activity so all other distractions need to be limited,” says Kathy Swanson, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “When you combine cell phone use and other distractions to driving, it’s a recipe for a crash.”

Those in violation of the law — which is categorized as a moving violation — will face delays in obtaining a non-provisional license. In Minnesota, permit holders under age 18 must maintain a driving record free of any moving violation for six months to be eligible for provisional driving privileges. At age 18, drivers can secure their non-provisional license.

Teens are disproportionately represented in traffic crashes and fatalities. From 2000 to 2004, 293 16- to 18-year-olds were killed on Minnesota roads.

Public Safety officials advise that although this law applies to mostly new teen drivers, all motorists should make efforts to curb cell phone use and other driving distractions.

“You may be an experienced driver, but that doesn’t make it safe to drive distracted,” says Swanson. “Take your ears off the phone, put your hands on the wheel and your mind on the road.”

Eleven states and the District of Columbia restrict cell phone use among novice drivers, and some states and municipalities ban hand-held cell phone use for all drivers.