OLMSTED COUNTY, Minn. - It's been more than three months since Minnesota drivers began keeping their hands off their cell phones while driving in accordance with Minnesota law.
If you thought you could pull over onto the shoulder of the road to place a call and avoid breaking the Hands-Free Law, you are mistaken. It is illegal to stop on the shoulder of an interstate freeway or controlled-access highway if it's not an emergency.
Although it is legal to stop along a state or U.S. highway or county road, it's not necessarily safe to do so, especially in winter weather conditions.
"We just don't want to see them be struck by another vehicle especially going into the winter months. A lot of times people will overreact and if they see a vehicle on the shoulder they'll start to break and possibly they could lose control and run into that vehicle as well," explains Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Troy Christianson.
