April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and law enforcement in North Dakota will observe it with extra enforcement.
Karin Mongeon is Safety Division Director for the North Dakota Department of Transportation. She says the public will absolutely notice more law enforcement presence on the roadways during the month of April, enforcing North Dakota's distracted driving laws.
"Texting while driving is illegal, and punishable with a $100 fine. So that includes composing, reading or sending any electronic message or using of a communications device to access the internet while driving. But in 2017, the Legislature in North Dakota actually expanded the law to include that if a driver is distracted by anything that impairs their ability to safely operate their vehicle, and then commits a traffic violation, that driver can also be given a $100 citation for distracted driving."
Last year, more than 370 citations were given for distracted driving during North Dakota's two enforcement periods, in April and September.