How often have you seen someone cross the line, or sit at a green light, only to see that they were looking at the phone at the time? It's a common occurrence, and law enforcement throughout Minnesota will be cracking down on distracted driving this week.

Whether it's looking at your phone to check a text, double checking the directions on the GPS, adjusting the temperature or eating, it all falls under the category of distracted driving, and not only is it dangerous, it's illegal. Bringmethenews.com reports that nearly 300 police agencies in Minnesota will be taking part this week.

The numbers don't lie. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reports that at 55 mph, texting and driving is comparable to traveling the distance of a football field without looking up. Driving while distracted contributes to one in four crashes, 64 deaths and 234 serious injuries a year. Preliminary numbers show distraction was a factor in 16,900 crashes in 2014 alone and more than 86,00 crashes from 2009-13, equaling 25 percent of all crashes.

Drive safely!

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