Overview
- The Office of Traffic Safety kicked off Wednesday a statewide April 1–30 enforcement push with more than 300 agencies adding patrols to stop distracted drivers.
- Officials report 33,183 crashes since 2020 with 888 serious injuries and 162 deaths, including 21 deaths and 159 serious injuries last year.
- Minnesota’s 2019 hands-free law bars holding a phone while driving, with fines of at least $100 for a first offense and $300 for later violations.
- Drivers who injure or kill someone while distracted can face felony criminal vehicular operation or homicide charges.
- Shakopee Mayor Matt Lehman, whose daughter-in-law Ashley died after a 2025 crash, joined the kickoff to urge drivers to focus and to press for stiffer consequences.