Minnesota: Cell phone laws, legislation

Current prohibitions:
Text messaging is illegal for all drivers.

Drivers under the age of 18 with learner’s permits or intermediate licenses are prohibited from using cell phones while driving.

Pending legislation:
HB 2351: Would prohibit the use of cell phones while driving unless a hands-free accessory is utilized. Specifies without the use of either hand. (Masin)

HB 1339: Would outlaw use of handheld cell phones by drivers. School bus drivers and those with instruction permits not allowed to use cell phones at all. Companion to SB 593, below. (Ruud)

SB 593: Seeks to outlaw use of cell phones by drivers, unless a hands-free device is employed. Bans all cell phone use by drivers with instruction permits. Would outlaw use of cell phones by school bus drivers. Companion to HB 1339, above. (Bonoff)

Legislation notes:
The Minnesota Legislature went into session on Feb. 4, 2010.

No new distracted driving laws have been filed since 2009.

Rep. Sandra Masin, D-Eagan, is the chief author of HB 2351.

Mike Jaros, D-Deluth, has sought a complete ban on drivers using cell phones. His stepson was in a vehicle that was rammed by a cell-phoning driver, but survived.

Katherine Burke Moore, deputy director of the Office of Traffic Safety, told the Star Tribune: “We forget that driving is already a multi-tasking activity. Even when we do it every day, we’re checking mirrors, scanning around the car, and watching for brake lights. Any other distraction is unsafe.”

After New Jersey and Washington state, Minnesota was the third state to approve the text-messaging restriction. The anti-texting law went into effect Aug. 1, 2008. A violation is a petty misdemeanor.