Corcoran teen inspires law to show caregiver information in driving records

Makena Prevost worries about her three siblings.

She worries about what would happen if she or her parents were injured or killed in an automobile crash, and were unable to take care of them.

That frightening thought led Prevost, a 14-year-old Orono High School freshman, to push for a new state law allowing drivers to declare that they are a caregiver — and just like organ donors, have that information included in their driving records.

Under the law, which went into effect Aug. 1, first responders will be alerted if crash victims have others with special needs with them in the vehicle, or at home alone, who may need someone to look after them.

"They might not know how to talk to police or take care of themselves," said Prevost of Corcoran, Minn. "This could help a bunch of people."

As written, the law only covers those who are caring for people with autism and other intellectual disabilities, not people with illnesses such as Alzheimer's Disease or a spinal injury.

Prevost came up with the idea as part of a project to earn a Silver Award, one of the highest honors in Girl Scouts. (She's also a high-ranking seller of Girl Scout Cookies.) The award is given to scouts who advance a cause to make their community and the world a better place.

Prevost and her mother, ShawnMarie, presented the proposal to Sgt. Pete Ekenberg of the Corcoran Police Department during a Night to Unite event in 2022. He told them police have no way of knowing if a crash victim is a caregiver.

With that knowledge, Ekenberg said, officers could go to the home and conduct a welfare check, assess the situation and determine what kind of help might be needed, whether that means connecting a dependent person with a state or county service agency or placing them with another family member.

Ekenberg liked the idea so much that he connected the Prevosts with the Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety and Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Officials there presented it to lawmakers, who passed the Caretaker Law this year.

To opt in, drivers fill out a form with their name, emergency contact information and the names of those for whom they are a caregiver. There is no charge.

"The Caretaker Law is a simple but powerful tool that ensures the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals in our community," said DVS Program Director Jody-Kay Peterson. "By providing this information in your DVS record, caretakers can have peace of mind knowing that their loved ones will be taken care of in the event of an emergency."

Ekenberg said he is proud of Prevost and "blown away" that her proposal made Minnesota the first state in the country with a Caretaker Law. And he's happy that law enforcement has a way to get help to a person dependent on a caregiver who might otherwise be left to fend for themselves.

The law "won't be used a lot, but when it does, it will save people's lives," Ekenberg said.

Prevost said she hopes the law will be expanded to cover additional diagnoses — and other places — in future years.

"Maybe get other states to adopt it," she said.