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What Happens If Someone Gets Caught While They Are Texting While Driving

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What happens if someone gets caught while they are texting while driving? It depends on factors like what state they are in and if the state has a primary or secondary enforcement law. A secondary law is when a law enforcement officer can only pull someone over if they see them texting while driving and doing some other kind of reckless driving, for example, swerving. A primary law is when a law enforcement officer can pull you over and give you a ticket if they see you texting while driving and doing nothing else wrong (Governors Highway Safety Association). Minnesota is one of the fourteen states plus Washington D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico that have primary enforcement. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety states, "The Minnesota Law says it is illegal for drivers to read/compose/send text messages and emails, or access the internet while driving." This law is even in affect while you are at stoplights. In Minnesota if you get caught once, you face a fine of $135. If you are caught twice, you are faced with a $225 ticket. Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman states, "The higher penalty is designed to make motorists think twice about looking at emails, texts, and online activity on their phones and risk being ticketed, or far worse, causing a crash". Each year in Minnesota, distracted driving is a factor in one of four cases, resulting in at least 70 deaths and 350 serious injuries (Minnesota DPS). In 2013, in Minnesota alone, 2189 drivers

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