When it comes to distracted driving in Minnesota, more and more awareness is being brought to the dangers of this behavior. In the past decade, reports of accidents caused by drivers who were using their phones to make calls, send or receive texts or even to make social media posts are no longer unusual. Sadly, these actions have left many innocent people injured and have even taken the lives of others.
If you are concerned about this and wonder how safe your children are as you put them on the school bus every day, you are not alone. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the state does have some bans on phone use for drivers but these are not necessarily consistent for all drivers and may therefore lead to confusion at times. School bus drivers are actually the one group of people who face the strictest restrictions. In fact, the law does not allow for them to use phones while driving at any time without exception.
However, this does not prevent all accidents for kids in these buses as other drivers are allowed some device use. This includes the use of navigation systems and other devices that are affixed to the vehicle. Beyond that, drivers are banned from texting, emailing or surfing the web.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give Minnesota residents an overview of how the state approaches distracted driving and help them determine whether or not the laws go far enough to keep people safe.