Minnesota could ban all cellphone use while driving

Only hands-free devices would be allowed, as 14 states have joined the ban.

There is some support for a measure that would add Minnesota to the list of states that ban all cell phone use behind the wheel except for hands free devices.

State lawmakers are introducing a bill that make that a law starting July 1, though it wouldn’t remove all distractions while driving, admits president of the Minnesota Safety Council, Paul Aasen.

“There’s always distractions available,” he said, mentioning an incident where a man had a wok plugged in on his passenger seat and was making lunch while he drove. “We’re just trying to make it easier to leave the one that seems to be elevating the quickest, in the glove box or on the seat.”

The new measure has lot to do with helping police differentiate between people using phones to talk or, for example, update their Facebook, Aasen mentioned. 

“For a law enforcement officer to be able to tell if you’re holding a phone and making a call or texting or doing something else is very difficult,” he said.

Last year, police around Minnesota wrote over 9,000 tickets for either inattentive driving or texting while driving.  

If enacted, Minnesota would join 14 states and the Washington, D.C., as places with hands free-only rules for driving.