97 Citations: Early Numbers From Distracted Driving Day

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities issued nearly 100 citations and pulled over more than 2,400 drivers who were texting while driving last Thursday, early numbers show.

The Public Safety Department said preliminary results show authorities issued 97 texting citations on Distracted Driving Day. That number is expected to spike up when the remaining 250 agencies report in. So far, only 142 agencies have reported in.

To put those numbers in context, the average number of citations issued for a given day in 2011 was 3.5.

The Public Safety Department said the initiative behind Distracted Driving Day was not just about law enforcement. The department wants motorists to know that texting while driving is illegal, and that it contributes to 25 percent of all crashes in the state.