It’s Illegal to Pull Over to the Shoulder in MN to Check Your Phone

This morning an upset woman called our radio show to vent about a person who was texting and driving and almost ran her off the road. Texting and driving is very dangerous and is against the law in Minnesota. The woman pleaded with people to pull over to the side of the road if they were going to be using their phones, but did you know you can get ticketed for doing that too?

According to Sgt. Troy Christianson from the Minnesota State Patrol,  "Minnesota law does not allow motorists to stop on a roadway unless it is for an emergency. Instances like this prevent us from utilizing our resources as efficiently as possible because our dispatch center may receive numerous calls reporting an occupied stalled vehicle. A Trooper would then be sent to the reported location to either find someone talking on their phone or no longer at the site."

But will you really get a ticket for checking your phone on the side of the road?  Christianson said citations have been issued for non-emergency stops. He urged motorists to avoid pulling over to the shoulder and encouraged drivers to find a parking lot or legal parking zone instead before using their phones.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says "more than 50,000 crashes were distracted driving-related between 2015-2019." Nearly 1 in 5 crashes is caused by a driver that is distracted.

If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson. His email address is, Troy.christianson@state.mn.us.