By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: What is being done about distracted driving? It seems like it is getting worse. Answer: When we think of distracted driving, most of us think of someone holding a phone up to their ear or scrolling through their social media feed. But distracted driving takes a lot of different forms. When you fiddle with your car … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: I noticed that the horn on my vehicle does not work. Is there a law that that says a vehicle must have a working horn and when it can be used? Answer:  According to state law, your vehicle must have a horn that’s “in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: If I sell my vehicle to a private party, what do you recommend I do to protect myself in the event the new owner gets into a crash or is arrested prior to them transferring the title into their name? Answer: If the vehicle you sold is involved in a hit and run or pursuit and the driver flees the scene, law … [Read more...]

Question: I’m concerned about the high speeds of drivers I’m seeing these days, both in my city and on the interstate. What can I do about it?  Answer:  The Minnesota State Patrol is extremely concerned about the high rate of speeds troopers are seeing throughout our state. In fact, as of February 25, troopers have cited 132 drivers for speeds of 100 mph or more this year. … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: I see a lot of people that have their fog lights on and when I am meeting them on the road and some are very bright and make seeing the road very difficult. Some of them appear to be out of alignment and are blinding. What is the law that covers this? Answer: If the fog lights are aimed too high and/or are too … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question:  I’m wondering what the law says about people tooling around the city with a dog on their lap. Usually the dog has its head sticking out the driver side’s window, enjoying the wind. Dogs are unpredictable and could cause the driver to lose control of steering. Not to mention the visibility problems out the window and … [Read more...]

Minnesota State Patrol Question:  I bought a vehicle and it does not have anywhere to put the front license plate, do I need to have one on the front of my vehicle? Answer: Minnesota State Statute (M.S.S.) 169.79 states: “No person shall operate, drive or park a motor vehicle on any roadway unless the vehicle is registered in accordance with the laws of this state and has the … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: What is the law about pickup trucks with the flashing amber lights? I noticed some of them traveling down the road when they are not actively plowing.  Also, is there a law against plowing or blowing snow onto a public road? Answer: Minnesota state law says that a service vehicle shall not display a lighted lamp when … [Read more...]

By Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: I am getting my four place snowmobile trailer ready for a trip, do I need brakes on all the axels? Answer:  Brakes are required on all trailers with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more. If brakes are required they need to be on all wheels of a trailer manufactured after June 30, 1988.  Trailers equipped with … [Read more...]