I was approached at a gas station and asked several questions about the State Patrol squads.  I was recently issued a 2019 Dodge Charger and he noticed the color was a brighter maroon.  The State Patrol has a distinctive maroon paint color through Ford.  The maroon paint that Ford uses is custom – we are the only agency in the country using it, but with an added cost per … [Read more...]

Question:  Could you explain the zipper merge for merging into construction zones in Minnesota?  I have tried using the zipper merge many times and it seems that hardly anyone else on the road knows about how it is supposed to work. If another driver intentionally blocks a lane, isn’t that against the law? Answer: According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, … [Read more...]

Question:  Are the blue or Xenon headlamps legal in Minnesota? Answer:  Xenon or (HID) high-intensity discharge headlights are legal if they comply with the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requirements as halogen and incandescent headlamps.  Minnesota Statutes Chapter 169.468 requires the Commissioner to adopt vehicle safety rules in substantial conformance … [Read more...]

Question:  Can a vehicle with a Minnesota collector plate be driven legally in Arizona? Is it legal to drive it too and from both states? Answer: The general rule is states honor the registered vehicle and registration laws from the state the vehicle is registered.  So as long as you’re legal in Minnesota you will be fine on your drive to Arizona.  There are several … [Read more...]

Question: I heard DWI arrests are declining, is this this true? What about non-alcohol related DWI arrests?  Answer: While alcohol-related DWI incidents have dropped over the past 10 years in Minnesota, controlled substance-related DWI incidents have increased over the past 30 years. Controlled substance-related DWI convictions •1990: 5 •1997: 128 •2007: … [Read more...]