Law enforcement officers all across the state, including Benton County, will be cracking down on distracted drivers by adding extra enforcement on Minnesota roads.

Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck says starting Monday there will be overtime patrols on roads all throughout the county. The call for action came in all counties from Minnesota’s State Patrol Chief, Matt Langer and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Their research found that from 2010-2014 there have been 86,000 crashes, 1,138 life-changing injuries and 328 deaths due to distracted driving. And in 2014 distracted driving was listed as the number one factor in crashes that involved multiple cars.

The Minnesota DPS wants drivers to know that texting and driving is not the only form of distracted driving. Other forms include music, eating, children fighting, or other adult passenger’s behavior.

State officials say to prevent distracted driving accidents you can put your phone out of reach or turn it off while driving, pre-program your favorite radio stations, map out trips or enter addresses into the GPS before getting on the road, avoid eating messy foods, and teach children the importance of good behavior in a car and model proper driving habits for them.