Question: What is the legal following distance?  What can I do when someone is following too close behind me? Isn’t there a rule of so many vehicle lengths for miles per hour to use as a guide? Answer:  The only law regarding following distance pertains to  vehicles pulling trailers. This includes trucks as well as semi-truck tractors with trailers. They must maintain a … [Read more...]

Question: Is it a violation if the third brake light quits working on a passenger vehicle?  What about a vehicle that is equipped with a brake light(s) that flash or pulsate? Answer:  The state statute says that a vehicle equipped with stop lamps or signal lamps shall at all times be maintained in good working condition. So all brake lights, including the third one, would … [Read more...]

Question: If a person has a permit to carry in Minnesota, can they transport a loaded rifle or shotgun in a vehicle? Answer: The permit to carry law applies only to handguns, so the answer is no with some exceptions. MS 97B.045 - A person may not transport a firearm in a motor vehicle unless the firearm is: (1) unloaded and in a gun case expressly made to contain a … [Read more...]

In the past five years, officers reported snowy or icy road conditions in more than 79,569 crashes (2014-2018). These crashes resulted in 214 traffic deaths and 20,761 injuries. During the winter, it’s important to drive at safe speeds according to road conditions, and give yourself plenty of travel time. State law requires the use of headlights when precipitation is … [Read more...]

In the past five years, officers reported snowy or icy road conditions in more than 79,569 crashes (2014-2018). These crashes resulted in 214 traffic deaths and 20,761 injuries. During the winter, it’s important to drive at safe speeds according to road conditions, and give yourself plenty of travel time. State law requires the use of headlights when precipitation is … [Read more...]

Question: Now that Minnesota’s hands-free law is in effect it seems there are numerous vehicles pulled over on the shoulder with the driver talking or texting on the phone. This seems unsafe. Is it legal and if not what is the recommended procedure upon receiving a call or text that needs a prompt response and hands free options are not available? Answer: Minnesota law does … [Read more...]

Question: I had a question for the Ask a Trooper segment you do. I’ve noticed that school buses all have the words “School Bus” written at the top of the windshield on the front of the vehicle. Similarly, when the bus is used for a different purpose other than school, the words are scraped off or it says “Charter Bus” or something to that effect. What is the reason for … [Read more...]

Question: I have a rather random, but seasonally appropriate question: with harvest season upon us and with slow moving farm vehicles/implements on roadways, is it permissible to pass a slow-moving farm implement on Minnesota highways in a delineated no-passing zone? If passing is prohibited, maybe this is something to feature in the “Ask a Trooper” segments in various media … [Read more...]

Question: Minnesota just recently enacted a hands-free while driving law, but many states do not have such a law. How is this enforced when people from out of state are traveling on our Interstate highways? I have not seen any signs go up stating that Minnesota is Hands-Free. Would violators just be issued a warning? Answer Key: The law will be enforced for all drivers on … [Read more...]