Law enforcement throughout Minnesota are cracking down on distracted driving this week.

The Toward Zero Deaths campaign kicked off yesterday and will last until April 17 with extra enforcement looking for distracted drivers on cell phones, texting, talking to passengers or changing radio stations.

“The goal is to lower death and injury rates on roadways,” Austin police Capt. Dave McKichan said. “It’s a collaboration with local community and law enforcement coming together through education and enforcement to make roads safer.”

Distracted driving is a leading factor in Minnesota crashes, with 74 deaths and 174 serious injuries last year, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

McKichan said they are trying to let people know what the risks are so they can make decisions for themselves. Law enforcement will be working extra hours to look for specific distracted driving issues.

“We want people to understand how dangerous it is to be looking and reading a text,” McKichan said. “Just don’t do that while operating a motor vehicle.”

He added they see people most often using their cell phones to text or browse the Internet. There’s also an increased emphasis versus years ago when smart phones were not as prevalent as they are today.

“It is something that is keeping from lowering death numbers, especially in young people,” McKichan said. “We know it’s difficult to hear that ringtone and to try to resist the urge to pick up the phone.”

McKichan said the easiest way to avoid distracted driving is turning off your phone when you’re in the car and waiting until you get to your destination. You can also put your phone out of reach.

If you’re on the phone with someone driving, ask them to call you back after they are done driving. If you’re a passenger, speak up to stop drivers from engaging in distracted behaviors and assist with phone, directions and radio/music controls, the press release said.

“It’s the things that you can do for yourselves and others,” McKichan said. “It’s really about trying to prevent fatalities and injuries.”

Too many lives lost

• In a five-year period (2010-2014), 328 people lost their lives and 1,138 people suffered life-changing injuries in distracted driving-related crashes.

• Driver inattention or distraction was the number one contributing factor in multiple vehicle crashes in 2014.

• More than 86,000 crashes were distracted driving-related from 2010 to 2014, contributing to one in four crashes.

• During the 2015 distracted driving extra enforcement campaign, law enforcement cited 909 drivers for texting and driving, an 80 percent increase over the previous year.