Candidate Hutchinson targets "Dumb Drivers"

If Peter Hutchinson becomes governor he'll make distracted "dumb drivers" pay fines for the accidents they cause.

Stop at any Twin Cities intersection and look around. It doesn?t take long to find drivers taking care of extra business behind the wheel. You'll see them working the phones, reading newspapers, and eating lunch on the run.

?Multi-tasking? is the phrase many use to describe it. Gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson calls it something else.

?I don?t know how to put it other than dumb driving,? Hutchinson told the State Capitol media Thursday.

?Crashes, 25 percent of the congestion on the road today is a function of crashes. Listen to the morning traffic report,? says Hutchinson.

The man heading the Independence Party ticket says if he?s elected, and the Legislature passes a ban on cell phones in cars, he?ll sign it. Short of that, Hutchinson calls for stiff fines for those involved in accidents while distracted.

?It?s not mostly about too many cars on too little road. It?s about too many dumb drivers causing too many dumb things. Distracted driving is a HUGE problem in Minnesota that remains unaddressed,? says Hutchinson.

Hutchinson envisions accident investigators checking for tell-tale signs of distraction in the aftermaths of crashes.

?If the mascara brush is lying around, if the half-eaten hamburger is sitting there, if the cell phone is spilled, I think you got prima face evidence that people are not paying attention,? says Hutchinson.

The Department of Public Safety?s Dennis Smith says distracted driving is a major factor in accidents. During 2005, ?distracted or inattentive? driving was cited as a contributing factor in 25% of multi-car collisions, and in 14% one one-vehicle crashes.

He says the actual percentage is probably higher than that because most drivers won?t readily admit or volunteer to police that they were on the phone, eating or putting makeup on at the time of the crash.

Peter Hutchinson isn?t focusing solely on what he calls ?dumb drivers? when it comes to clearing congested roads and highways. He criticized the State for falling behind on major projects and running short on maintenance funds.

Hutchinson says he would sign the transportation bill Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed in 2005. Pawlenty nixed it because it would have increased the state's gasoline tax by 10 cents per gallon. But Hutchinson says it would pump $7 billion into Minnesota roads and highways over the next decade.

?Today the State postpones or cancels projects, relies on borrow now, pay later gimmicks,? says Hutchinson.

By John Croman, KARE 11 News.

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