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TOWN HALL: Emmer talks health care, environment PAGE 3
Hands-free cellphone bill now law: Here’s what to know BY ELIZABETH CALLEN STAFF WRITER
BY THE NUMBERS
While driving, Minnesotans should ensure that their hands remain on their wheels—and not on their phones. Holding a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle is now illegal in Minnesota, as the hands-free cellphone bill, signed by Gov. Tim Walz in April, took effect Aug. 1. Since 2013, it has been illegal in Minnesota to send text messages or access the internet while driving, but phone calls were permitted, so long as the driver wasn’t distracted. Under the new law, drivers cannot hold a cellphone—or use one to type, scroll or view content—while operating a motor vehicle, including while stopped in traffic or at a light. If caught, drivers face a petty misdemeanor, which carries a $50 fine. Add in court fees, and that fine could total $130. Subsequent violations carry a $275 fine, plus court fees. With the new law now in effect, Minnesota has joined 17 states and Washington, D.C., in requiring drivers to have their phones in handsfree or voice-activated mode while operating a vehicle. Supporters of the law hope that Minnesota will see results similar to those in other states, where traffic fatalities have decreased by 15% on average since such laws took effect. The dangers of distraction Each year, nearly 20% of crashes throughout Minnesota are related to distracted driving. From 2014 to 2018, more than 60,000 accidents
60,000+ 9,545 204
45 $50 $275
distracted drivingrelated crashes in Minnesota 2014 to 2018 citations issued in 2018 for texting while driving average number of serious injuries caused by distracted driving each year average number of deaths caused by distracted driving for first violation of hands-free law (plus court fees) for subsequent violations (plus court fees)
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Megan Goeltz (right) died Feb. 29, 2016 in a distracted driving related crash in West Lakeland Township. She was stopped at an intersection when another car came flying out of a roadside ditch and collided with her Ford Fusion.
were caused by drivers who were looking at their phones at the time of the crash. Likewise, distracted driving results in an average of 45 deaths and approximately 200 life-changing injuries per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. That’s a set of statistics that Tom Goeltz, of Hudson, knows all too well. A safety and risk management consultant, he spends a significant part of his workweeks educating
audiences about the dangers of driving while distracted, but the issue is also personal to him. In February 2016, his daughter Megan was killed in a crash caused by a distracted driver. “It was a classic distracted driving case. There was kind of a bend in the road, and (the driver) never took the turn. He kept going straight and rolled into a ditch,” Goeltz said. “He SEE DISTRACTED DRIVING, PAGE 12
State Fair: ‘The longest marathon you will ever run’ BY SHANNON GRANHOLM EDITOR
A Lino Lakes couple who met at the State Fair 23 years ago can’t wait to “run a marathon” at this year’s big get-together. Brendan and Melissa Szala have brought their Pitchfork Sausage truck to the fair for seven years. The two met while working at Butcher Boys and have now been married for 13 years. They have four children who are also involved when they can be, including Trevor, 10, Zoey, 7, Colin, 4, and 8-month-old Lexie. “The State Fair is the longest marathon you
will ever run, but you are still having the most fun of your life. We work 18-hour days, you go home, take a shower, take a nap, and then you go and do it again. You just do it because you like doing it. It is fun and every day is different,” Melissa said. “I have had office jobs, and nothing will prepare you for the rush that you get from going to the fair, seeing all the lights, hearing all the sounds and being there almost every minute it is open of every single day.” The two left the fair scene to finish up college and start a family, but their business partner SEE PITCHFORK SAUSAGE, PAGE 10
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Lino Lakes residents Brendan and Melissa Szala will bring Pitchfork Sausage to the State Fair.
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