SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to approve the hands-free cell phone bill (HF 50) during tonight's floor session. Legislators are taking action in response to victims of distracted driving who want to prevent more deaths. Sixteen other states and the District of Columbia have hands-free cell phone laws. Current state law bans emailing, texting, and using a web browser while driving. HF 50 applies the same enforcement and penalties to drivers who talk on their phone without using hands-free mode. There are exceptions for emergencies and one-touch activation functions. According to WCCO’s latest Reality Check, crashes and fatalities on the road decrease when states have hands-free cell phone laws on the books.
State Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls), a co-author of the bill, released the following statement:
“Whether a driver, or a passenger, or a cyclist, or a pedestrian, if you’re on a Minnesota road, you deserve to be safe. Unfortunately, distracted driving results in too many lives lost and we’ve heard heartbreaking stories from family members whose loved ones would still be with us if only a driver had just kept their focus on the road. The ‘hands-free’ bill is long overdue and hopefully will send a message to all Minnesota motorists to put the phone down and put their full attention toward driving. Doing this will save lives.”