Question: If I am stopped by the police and am asked to show my driver’s license or car insurance papers, do I have to have physical copies to show or are photos of these papers on my phone also acceptable to show? Answer: Every driver is required to carry proof of insurance while driving. They must also produce proof of insurance when requested by an officer during a … [Read more...]
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Question: I know it has been extremely dry, but with the anticipation of “April showers” can you talk about hydroplaning? Answer: At speeds of 35 mph or less, most tires will “wipe” water off the road surface to keep tires in contact with the road. At higher speeds, water can collect under tires and lift them off the surface of the road – this is called … [Read more...]
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Question: I bought a used boat dock; do I need a permit to get it to my lake house? Answer: You can move a boat dock on Minnesota roads without a permit if the dock is no wider than 8’6”, no higher than 13’6” and no longer than 110’. The move must be done during daytime hours. The rear corners must be flagged with 18” squared red or orange flags. The dock sides will have … [Read more...]
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Question: I am puzzled as to why seat belts are mandatory in vehicles along with a fine for not complying, but our precious cargo in school buses are not required to wear them? Answer: School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation even without seatbelts. School buses are safer because of their large size and design. School bus interiors are designed on … [Read more...]
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Question: I am looking at purchasing my first vehicle but I am worried about scams. Do you have any advice for me? Thank you. Answer: Here is some information we recently shared on our Minnesota Department of Public Safety blog. Picture this: You are excited about buying a car. You drive it home, but later find out the odometer had been rolled back thousands of miles, it was … [Read more...]
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With highs near 50 and the sun in the sky, it can be hard to believe it is March in Minnesota. If you’re not a fan of Minnesota winters, the higher temps and lack of snow this winter is appealing. You might even think that the lack of snow has made our roads safer. Unfortunately, the effect on traffic safety is not always what people think. We’re seeing an alarming spike in … [Read more...]
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Question: I have noticed that there are more aggressive actions being taken at roundabouts. Drivers are entering the roundabout ahead of others that are already in the circle. Please remind drivers of the appropriate entering law concerning them. Thank you. Answer: Thank you for the suggested topic and I can talk about this. Roundabouts handle high levels of traffic with less … [Read more...]
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Question: I have a question in regards to exploring a business idea that has to do with mobile advertising, such as an illuminated board advertising business. I am concerned about the visual distraction for drivers and was wondering if this was allowed. Answer: Moving or parked mobile advertising signs that display lights on the highway are not allowed. That would also … [Read more...]
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Question: I have been thinking about getting a dash camera for my vehicle. If I do, where can I place it? Answer: When it comes to placing things up in the windshield or dashboard area Minnesota has restrictions as a concern for obstructed vision and safety. Dash cameras are allowed if the driver feedback and safety monitoring equipment are mounted immediately behind, … [Read more...]
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Question: I thought I heard about 911 being able to find accurate locations even when people don’t know exactly where they are. Can you talk about that? Answer: Yes, we shared some information on this very subject on our Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s blog just recently. I will share the article. “As a former dispatcher, Jessica Stanton knows seconds count in an … [Read more...]