By Sgt. Troy Christianson Question: Can a truck with collector plates on it be used in a snow plow business? Is it legal to use collector plates on a vehicle driven on a daily basis? Answer: Driving a vehicle for general transportation with collector plates on is illegal.  It is also illegal to use collector plates for business purposes. There are several different … [Read more...]

Question: I have a question for you regarding on-ramps to the freeway. I thought I used to see yield signs when coming from the ramp. Do I still need to yield to traffic on the freeway? Answer: Yes, you must yield when you are merging to the main line traffic as they have the right of way. Entry ramps are short, one-way roads that provide access to freeways. At the end of … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Question: Can you talk about drug use and impaired driving. It seems like I am seeing more and more of this. Answer: Drug-impaired driving is as dangerous as alcohol-impaired driving. Minnesota law prohibits driving while impaired by controlled or intoxicating substances. These substances include illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and over the … [Read more...]

Question: While traveling, I see a lot of vehicles pulled over on the side of the road with either steam or smoke coming from the vehicle. Can you talk about what a person should do in these situations? Answer: When dealing with a vehicle that is overheating, most vehicles have dashboard gauges or lights that indicate the engine temperature. Activities such as driving in … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Question: I sent you an email asking about the legality of individuals discharging grass clippings from lawn mowers onto public roads. They can be very slippery when wet and otherwise are a mess.  Answer:  Discharging grass clippings onto a highway is illegal, most cities also have ordinance on this as well.  The statue is 169.42 Sub 1, Objects … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]