1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; abolishing statutes 
  1.3             that define trackless trolley car, that regulate 
  1.4             driving through rough country, and that prohibit 
  1.5             employment by passenger carriers of persons addicted 
  1.6             to liquor; making conforming changes; amending 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 169.03, subdivision 
  1.8             7; 169.20, subdivision 5; 169.46; and 169.80, 
  1.9             subdivision 2; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.10            sections 169.01, subdivision 18; 169.38; and 169.901. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.03, 
  1.13  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  1.14     Subd. 7.  [STREETCAR AND TROLLEY STREETCARS.] 
  1.15  Streetcars and trackless trolley cars, except where otherwise 
  1.16  specifically provided, shall be governed by the same rules as 
  1.17  provided in this chapter for vehicles and motor vehicles, only 
  1.18  insofar as such rules apply to speed, stopped at through streets 
  1.19  and railroad tracks, and obeying signals of traffic-control 
  1.20  devices and rights-of-way, driving under the influence of drugs 
  1.21  or intoxicating liquor, careless driving, and the stopping at 
  1.22  the scene of an accident and giving the information as required 
  1.23  by this chapter, and following vehicles too closely, and shall 
  1.24  be entitled to the same rights and benefits of this chapter, as 
  1.25  to warning, turning and stopping signals and rights-of-way, as 
  1.26  any vehicles or motor vehicle in the streets and highways of 
  1.27  this state. 
  1.28     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.20, 
  2.1   subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.2      Subd. 5.  [EMERGENCY VEHICLE.] (a) Upon the immediate 
  2.3   approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at 
  2.4   least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal 
  2.5   atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front 
  2.6   of such vehicle and, except where otherwise not required by law, 
  2.7   when the driver is giving audible signal by siren, the driver of 
  2.8   each other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall 
  2.9   immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as 
  2.10  possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway clear of 
  2.11  any intersection, and shall stop and remain in this position 
  2.12  until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when 
  2.13  otherwise directed by a police officer.  The driver of another 
  2.14  vehicle on a one-way roadway shall drive to the closest edge or 
  2.15  curb and stop.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle 
  2.16  escorting the movement of a vehicle or load which is oversize or 
  2.17  overweight need not sound an audible signal by siren but shall 
  2.18  exhibit the light required by this paragraph.  The driver of 
  2.19  each other vehicle then shall yield the right-of-way, as 
  2.20  required by this paragraph, to the emergency vehicle escorting 
  2.21  the vehicle or load which is oversize or overweight. 
  2.22     (b) Upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle 
  2.23  the driver of each street car and the operator of each trackless 
  2.24  trolley car streetcar shall immediately stop such the car clear 
  2.25  of any intersection and keep it in this position and keep the 
  2.26  doors and gates of the street car or trackless trolley car 
  2.27  closed until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except 
  2.28  when otherwise directed by a police officer. 
  2.29     (c) A peace officer may arrest the driver of a motor 
  2.30  vehicle if the peace officer has probable cause to believe that 
  2.31  the driver has operated the vehicle in violation of paragraph 
  2.32  (a) within the four-hour period following the termination of the 
  2.33  emergency incident. 
  2.34     (d) This subdivision shall not operate to relieve the 
  2.35  driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive 
  2.36  with due regard for the safety of persons using the highways. 
  3.1      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.46, is 
  3.2   amended to read: 
  3.3      169.46 [HITCHING BEHIND VEHICLE.] 
  3.4      No person shall hitch a toboggan, hand sled, bicycle, or 
  3.5   other similar device onto any motor vehicle, street car or 
  3.6   trackless trolley car streetcar while being used on a highway.  
  3.7      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.80, 
  3.8   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.9      Subd. 2.  [OUTSIDE WIDTH.] (a) The total outside width of a 
  3.10  vehicle exclusive of rear view mirrors or load securement 
  3.11  devices which are not an integral part of the vehicle and not 
  3.12  exceeding three inches on each side, or the load may not exceed 
  3.13  102 inches except that the outside width of a vehicle owned by a 
  3.14  political subdivision and used exclusively for the purpose of 
  3.15  handling sewage sludge from sewage treatment facilities to farm 
  3.16  fields or disposal sites, may not exceed 12 feet, and except as 
  3.17  otherwise provided in this section. 
  3.18     (b) A vehicle exceeding 102 inches in total outside width, 
  3.19  owned by a political subdivision and used for the purpose of 
  3.20  transporting or applying sewage sludge to farm fields or 
  3.21  disposal sites may not transport sludge for distances greater 
  3.22  than 15 miles, nor may it be used for transportation of sewage 
  3.23  sludge or return travel between the hours of sunset and sunrise, 
  3.24  or at any other time when visibility is impaired by weather, 
  3.25  smoke, fog, or other conditions rendering persons and vehicles 
  3.26  not clearly discernible on the highway at a distance of 500 feet.
  3.27     (c) The total outside width of a low bed trailer or 
  3.28  equipment dolly, and the load, used exclusively for transporting 
  3.29  farm machinery and construction equipment may not exceed nine 
  3.30  feet in width except that a low bed trailer or equipment dolly 
  3.31  with a total outside width, including the load, in excess of 102 
  3.32  inches may not be operated on any interstate highway without 
  3.33  first having obtained a permit for the operation under section 
  3.34  169.86.  The vehicle must display 12-inch square red flags as 
  3.35  markers at the front and rear of the left side of the vehicle. 
  3.36     (d) The total outside width of a trackless trolley car or 
  4.1   passenger motor bus, operated exclusively in a city or 
  4.2   contiguous cities in this state, may not exceed nine feet. 
  4.3      Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  4.4      Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 169.01, subdivision 18; 
  4.5   169.38; and 169.901, are repealed.