Ask a Trooper by Troy Christianson

Question:  What is the law about a disability parking certificate/tag that hangs from your rearview mirror? The instruction sheet that is mailed out by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety states, “Driving with the hang tag on your mirror could result in a ticket for obstructed view.”  When attempting to look out the windshield with the tag on the rearview mirror, I was amazed at how much visual space is obscured. I believe it is a real safety concern when people drive with the tag on the rearview mirror.

 

Answer: You are correct, state statute 169.71 prohibits any objects suspended between the driver and the windshield, other than: sun visors, rearview mirrors, global positioning systems or navigation systems when mounted or located near the bottommost portion of the windshield; and electronic toll collection devices. This law does not apply to law enforcement vehicles and other authorized emergency vehicles.

Having an object either attached to the windshield or hanging from the rearview mirror obstructs the driver’s view and can result in a dangerous situation. The driver might not be able to see another vehicle, animal, pedestrian or bicyclist because of an object is blocking their view.

For those with a disability parking tag, keep your tag in a secured location when driving, and only put the tag up when you need to park. When you need to drive, take the tag down. This should become as much of a habit as putting your seatbelt on. Those other items that people like to hang from the mirror can also cause an obstruction (air fresheners, fuzzy dice, etc.)

Law enforcement can and will conduct traffic stops when seeing an object that is blocking the driver’s view. A citation or warning will be issued to the driver. With more than 400 fatalities on Minnesota roads in 2015, the Department of Public Safety/Minnesota State Patrol is committed to making our roads safer through enforcement and education.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol, at 2900 48th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901-5848. Or reach him at Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us.

 

Troy Christianson is a sergeant with the Minnesota State Patrol.