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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 hands-free 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 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
60,000+
9,545 204
45
$50
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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.
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 workweek 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 rolled through the ditch for about 75 feet, and came up on a crossroad, where Megan was waiting at a stoplight, waiting to turn onto the highway …. He never even slowed down; he was traveling 54 miles per hour when he hit her.” SEE DISTRACTED DRIVING, PAGE 8A
Neighbors still keeping watch over Water Gremlin BY DEBRA NEUTKENS EDITOR
WHITE BEAR LAKE — The watchdog group founded to hold Water Gremlin accountable for toxic air emissions says the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is failing to enforce imposed limits. The White Bear Township company is operating in direct violation of terms of the stipulation agreement with MPCA, note members of the Neighborhood Concerned Citizens Group (NCCG). Section “tt” in that agreement, signed March 1 between the MPCA commissioner and the president of Water Gremlin, states that exceedance of the 70 micrograms per cubic meter daily limit of FluoSolv, or DCE
(dichloroethylene), means the company must reduce the amount released and set a new, lower, daily limit. That number can return to 70 micrograms when laboratory results show Water Gremlin no longer exceeds the preset amount. “MPCA has been ignoring section 'tt' by pretending it doesn't exist,” said Leigh Thiel, NCCG board member, at a July City Hall meeting. “We are showing them, 'Look, here is where Water Gremlin is in violation: six instances 50 to 100% over the limit; 10 where emissions were 100 to 300% over and four times when they exceeded 300%.” The MPCA website has a graph that shows cumulative total emissions of volatile organic compounds from Water Gremlin, including DCE emissions from
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FluoSolv. After four months, Water Gremlin is almost halfway to its annual emissions limit of 90 tons. “That is concerning to people with impacted immune systems,” noted NCCG President Sherry Hastings, adding citizens are fearful about health impacts and environmental damages from the chemicals. The neighborhood group claimed a small win in its efforts to keep Water Gremlin in check last month when MPCA denied an extension to get its pollution equipment in working order. However, the $500 per day fine imposed by the agency until testing was completed didn't amount to much. According to Hastings, the company immediately SEE WATCHDOGS, PAGE 9A
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