Minnesota drivers may know that state law requires them to move one full lane away from stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights activated when traveling on roads with two or more lanes going in the same direction.
Attention, motorists: Minnesota expands Move Over Law
A change in state law approved during the last legislative session expanded the Ted Foss Move Over Law to include any vehicle that is stopped with hazard lights activated.
October 25, 2023 at 12:25AM
In cases where that is not possible, drivers must slow down significantly when passing emergency vehicles such as police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and tow trucks. The law also applies to motorists who come upon maintenance and construction vehicles parked on the side of the road.
A change in state law approved during the last legislative session expanded the Ted Foss Move Over Law to include any vehicle — those with flat tires or otherwise disabled — that is stopped with hazard lights activated.
"While we recommend people experiencing car trouble stay in their vehicle with their seat belt on, the law also specifically calls on drivers to move over for people visibly present outside the vehicle," the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) said.
The Move Over Law was enacted in honor of state trooper Ted Foss, who was killed while conducting a traffic stop on the shoulder of Interstate 90 in Winona in 2000.
DPS data shows 550 vehicles responding to roadside incidents have been hit from 2018 through 2022. Though the law has been on the books for more than two decades, violations still are common. State troopers wrote more than 6,300 tickets for the offense from 2020 through 2022, according to DPS.
A ticket comes with a fine that can exceed $100.
Pedestrian bridge opens in Shakopee
A celebration Tuesday marked the opening of a new pedestrian bridge over Hwy. 169 in Shakopee.
City leaders, elected officials and members of the Shakopee High School Mountain Bike Team attended a ribbon cutting and were among the first to cross the bridge south of Quarry Lake on the south side of the city.
Planning began 12 years ago for the bridge connecting the Southbridge and Dean Lakes neighborhoods on the south side of the highway with attractions on the north side, including the Minnesota River, the Minnesota Valley State Trail and Xcel Energy Mountain Bike Park at Quarry Lake, the city said.
The city in 2020 received a $2 million state bonding grant to cover some of the $4.9 million cost while the city's Park Development Fund covered the remainder.
Kudos for Driver and Vehicles Services
Minnesota's Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) in the spring launched a multilingual chat feature on its website allowing customers who speak English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali to quickly access information by using a virtual assistant.
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers recognized the DVS language program at its Oct. 10 celebration with a 2023 State IT Recognition Award. The honor is given to agencies that use information technology to improve the lives of citizens.
Visitors to drive.mn.gov can click a "Help" button at the bottom right corner of the agency's website to access the chatbot.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
