Answer: No. There are some designated lanes for that, but they are NOT shoulders. They are “special use” lanes and will be marked accordingly. Official signs may be erected directing slow-moving traffic to use a designated lane or allocating specified lanes to traffic moving in the same direction, and drivers of vehicles shall obey the directions of every such sign. For those wanting to enter or cross note:

169.18 Driving Rules Subd. 3. Through highway; stop sign. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall stop as required by this chapter at the entrance to a through highway and shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles which have entered the intersection from the through highway or which are approaching so closely on the through highway as to constitute an immediate hazard, but the driver having so yielded may proceed, and the drivers of all other vehicles approaching the intersection on the through highway shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicles so proceeding into or across the through highway. (b) The driver of a vehicle shall likewise stop in obedience to a stop sign, as required herein, at an intersection where a stop sign is erected at one or more entrances thereto although not a part of a through highway, and shall proceed cautiously, yielding to vehicles not so obliged to stop which are within the intersection or approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, but may then proceed.

Subd. 4.Vehicle entering roadway. The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a roadway from any place other than a roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway to be entered or crossed.

Question: A few of the guys were talking the other day and it was brought up that there is a new law that says you cannot enter an intersection at a light if you cannot continue through it before the light turns red. Is this really true? When making a left turn I feel it is best to enter the intersection on the green light and then wait there for traffic to clear before turning.

Answer: Yes this is a new law. A few weeks back a driver’s education instructor was asking the same thing. Minnesota statute 169.15 sb 2 states, “(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a driver of a vehicle shall not enter an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal until the driver is able to move the vehicle immediately, continuously, and completely through the intersection without impeding or blocking the subsequent movement of cross traffic.” Now according to paragraph (b) “Paragraph (a) does not apply to movement of a vehicle made: (1) at the direction of a city-authorized traffic-control agent or a peace officer; (2) to facilitate passage of an authorized emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated; or (3) to make a turn, as permitted under section 169.19, that allows the vehicle to safely leave the intersection.” This law will be effective January 1, 2011, and applies to acts committed on or after that date. So this law does not apply to those vehicles that are making a turn permitted by law. The type of left turn you described is permitted by statute 169.19 and therefore this new law change has no effect on that situation. More simply put what this law means is that a vehicle intending to travel straight through and intersection with a green light, if the driver cannot travel completely through the intersection without stopping then he/she is not allowed to enter the intersection. This is to prevent vehicles from entering an intersection on a green light and then staying in the intersection when the light changes to let the cross traffic go thereby causing gridlock or a traffic jam.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws in Minnesota, please send your questions to: Trooper Jesse Grabow — Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501. Or reach me at jesse.grabow@state.mn.us