jgrab
Primary tabs
Author Content
Question: I was at a car show last year and saw an old Minnesota State Patrol 1970s MOPAR squad car on display and thought it was an anniversary edition. Do you happen to know any more about that?
Question: I was wondering what to do at pedestrian flashing crosswalk lights. Am I to wait till the lights stop flashing and the crosswalk is clear of pedestrians or can I go forward when it is safe to?
Question: I moved to Minnesota two days ago. I am living with a cousin of mine in Minnesota. I am writing to you concerning driving legally within the state. Back in my native country, Kenya, I am licensed to drive and currently I have that license with me. I also obtained an international driving permit from the necessary licensing body back in Kenya. Are these documents sufficient to allow me to drive within the State of Minnesota before I am able to acquire the State's Driving License? Thank you for your time and consideration.
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: With the recent amount of record snowfall that we received, it can be a challenge for all of us to remove snow safely.
Question: Say I'm driving on a road and the light turns yellow but as I brake, I begin sliding and the light goes red and I end up finally stopping in the intersection. Do I continue forward or should I reverse back? I understand it might be hard to decide depending on if there are vehicles in the other lane of the intersection who now have the green light.
Question: Can someone that had a shoulder replacement and will be in a sling for four more weeks still be legal to drive with one arm? Answer: There are no restrictions placed on a license for this situation, unless a physician notifies Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) of such. If the driver's (lack of) control of the vehicle due to this type of injury causes other issues that made for a traffic stop or if that person was involved in a crash, a citation could be issued.
Question: In the past few weeks, I noticed a major increase in the number of crashes due to slippery roads. Can you explain the importance of driving with due care and what troopers are seeing? Answer: We have been extremely busy this winter responding to many crashes and calls about vehicles off the road. Since we're responding to an increased number of incidents, it increases the chances that we'll get hit from a secondary crash. Multiple squads have been hit by passing motorists in the month of February alone and some of those crashes involved injuries.
Question: Do you turn in front of an approaching vehicle or behind it when two vehicles both want to turn left at an uncontrolled intersection? Answer: If two vehicles approach the intersection close to the same time, both vehicles should make the left turn in front of each other and make sure that the intersection is clear from other approaching vehicles.
Question: I brought my recently-turned 16-year-old child in last week to take the behind the wheel driver's test to get their driver's license. The weather was less than ideal and the roads were not in the best shape. I asked the examiner, "What happens if my child runs off the road into a snowbank during the test? How would they score that?" The examiner stated, "They fail." I was surprised to hear that. Is that fair? Just looking for the insight of a Minnesota State Trooper.
Question: What is the State Patrol's perspective on raising the speed limit on certain two lane roads from 55 MPH to 60 MPH? As a law enforcement agency, you're concerned about speeders, so is this a potential safety issue? Answer: As troopers, we patrol the roads 24 hours a day, and it's troubling how some drivers seem pretty nonchalant about how fast they're driving. People may feel confident about their driving skills, and especially when the skies are clear, roads are dry and you're cruising on the open road, it's tempting to drive too fast.