Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are backing a bill that would ban use of hand-held cell phones while driving in Minnesota. Rhonda Maurer lost her uncle and cousin in July 2015 and says, “A conversation on Facebook while driving at 65 miles an hour is what took the life of Chuck and Cassie.” Maurer says it was not an accident — it was a crash that was preventable.
It’s currently illegal in Minnesota to text while driving. Backers of a hand-held cell phone ban say it’s difficult to enforce the texting ban because law enforcement often can’t tell whether a driver is talking or texting.
Similar legislation has had a difficult time passing in previous legislative sessions, but backers claim the tide is now turning.