(00:00:01) We'll be talking about traffic safety safety on the roads drunk driving in all of it in just a moment with Rodger letting chief of the Minnesota state patrol. This is Minnesota Public Radio. It's a member supported broadcast service. You're tuned to ksjn 1330 Minneapolis-Saint. Paul skies are sunny in the Twin Cities area the temperature 5 above, but the northwesterly wind 21 puts windshield of 33 below. Raja letting is with us today. Roger is chief of the Minnesota state patrol the agency, which is responsible. Of course for Traffic Law Enforcement on Minnesota highways and freeways Roger welcome. It's always nice to have you on and it's always nice to be on to Bob and we've got a course the New Year's New Year's Eve tonight. I imagine that's one of the things you look forward to with great anticipation every year. Well, you know, it's interesting Bob. There's a great deal of notoriety given to New Year's Eve. And of course it's referred to by many people as amateur night on the highways. Let's let's stay off the roads the there's there's always a large number of law enforcement people that are that are put into service. We have 52 additional Troopers working throughout the state of Minnesota. There are a number of Sheriff's departments that are putting on additional people. There are also local police departments will have additional people as a matter of fact, I think in some places it's probably possible that the law enforcement people on the road will certainly outnumber the drunk. Reason, I naturally that's not the case everywhere. But we don't find it to be as bad a weekend is it was for example 10 years ago. There's a different attitude amongst the the motorists about drunk drivers. They don't like them and the people that are the do insist on going out and drinking some of them are intelligent enough to go out and have you sober cab or use a designated driver? We don't find that we arrest as many people for drunk driving over the New Year's as we do on a normal weekend is this right and just because of the the fact that people are aware of it and they recognize that I guess you could use the term no mercy, but there isn't going to be any any considerations given they're going to go to jail because we just can't afford to have those people on the road. So why do you put on additional Troopers then on New Year's Eve? If it's not that big a problem well because everybody doesn't listen to the radio or pay attention to what's being presented in the news media and as a result why we do Have we do have a need for those people? It's going to be a very cold weekend. And that's that's pretty well indicated. And so we know that there will be unfortunately there will be people little little have mechanical failures on their automobiles. We want to be out there to be able to give them assistance. We don't want anybody out there having their fingers and toes and their noses Frozen as a result of having to get out of the automobile and walk considerable distances because there is no help that will be available if if we see something like this certainly we're going to stop and see if we can't provide any assistance to them and I think we're going to be doing a lot of that this weekend. What what is the latest as far as you know about the situation up in Northwestern Minnesota there a couple of the stranded motorists up there the other conditions improved at all for driving or they still pretty sure my the latest information I have is that the conditions have improved. However, they're you know, they're they're having difficulty opening up the roads because of the high winds and when the drifts it's like hard cement when those those drips have to be moved removed so that Traffic can get through. It has improved considerably up there. But so your main effort tonight and throughout the weekend will probably not be so much on drunken driving. It will be helping stranded motorists. And and how about speeding is that an issue on these holiday weekends to speeding is always an issue and I think anyone who's listening knows that the speed is increased and we've certainly aware that the state patrol writes about 10,000 speed arrests per month. We don't have a large Force and and I've discussed that before but we're doing the best we can with them with the Personnel that we have. All of our Troopers are equipped with radar in their Automobiles and they use them our number one priority of course is drunk driving to get that drunk driver off the road because we recognize that well Nationwide 52 percent of the people involved in fatals. There was drunker there was a drinking involved in the state of Minnesota. Ours is around forty eight percent. It's better than nationally. And of course our fatality rate is down. So we're quite pleased with that but nevertheless 48 percent involved in the fatal accidents if we could get the that 48 percent off the road we could cut our fatality rate considerably. Well, sir with one day left in 1987. How is the you're shaping up in terms of traffic fatalities in Minnesota it you know, it's great. It's great in the sense that it's better than it's ever been. It can never be greedy great until we've got it down to where there aren't any but as of 7:30 this morning, there were 519 fatality is reported on Minnesota roads during 1987 and that compares with 571 at this time last year. So we're 52 below last year. And last year. We were the safest state in the United States in terms of traffic fatalities per 100 million miles driven now, it's interesting that would be the case because fuel prices are down. We understand that generally people. I driving more the speed limit has gone up. Why do you suppose there are fewer fatalities in Minnesota this year than last year Well, when you mention that speeds the speed limit has been increased that's true and on the interstates for the period of July through November now, the speed limit was raised the 17th of June of 1987, but the figures July through November there were 11 fatal crashes on the interstate in 1986 when the speed limit was 55, there were seven fatal crashes on the interstate. So the there is an indication that there there have been more fatal crashes on the interstate whether that's attributed this year as compared to last year know whether that can be attributed to the higher speeds. I think it's a little too soon to tell we need at least a one year experience, but we've also found that during the same period of time and well actually from the 17th of June through the 17th of September that accidents have increased on the interstate. We had 232 at reported accidents on the interstate in 1986 and 1987. We had 322 almost 190 more reported accidents that we had and the road conditions were basically the same we had an excellent winter last year so far, we've got an exit winner this year, but getting back to the to the question that you asked about. Why do you think this is the case? I think that it's the continuing emphasis by all enforcement particularly the state patrol on drunk driving getting drunk driving enforcement more people are wearing seatbelts. There aren't enough 32% are wearing seat belts here in the state of Minnesota. And we're the only state in the United States that has a law without a penalty. I would like to see that we don't have a law at all that everybody would voluntarily wear their seatbelts just as they voluntarily and automatically do that when they get into an airplane. It's much safer than airplane than it is getting in your automobile. Driving on the freeway with traffic coming at you from all different directions and yet people feel that they don't feel comfortable in many of them. Don't feel comfortable having to wear their seatbelt and it's the safest thing that you could possibly do when you get into an automobile. We can chat about some more of this as we continue here with Roger letting got some folks on the line with questions on it like to get to them. Go ahead please your first what's your question? (00:07:46) Well in the light of what you were just talking about, I think that the grassed area is the interpretation of Trends and statistics, but my observation is that they're more and more drivers that have in car phones on the interstates CBS among Coast to Coast truckers and such like this they communicate all the time and if you see some of these crazy drivers particularly on 35W if people with an in-car phones, he's inappropriate driving. If they knew where to call what would their liability (00:08:28) be? If a person with an in-car telephone a mobile telephone calls 911 it would be directed to the state patrol. Normally when you call 9-1-1 you would get the sheriff's department in the county in which it occurs and they would in turn relay it to whatever agency would be responsible for whatever is being reported. However, because the mobile telephone is perceived that it would be a traffic related situation. Those telephone calls are are sentient directly to the state patrol. As far as liability. There isn't any if you report the information to us and we've had a lot of people do this they will in some cases they'll be going in the same direction as the automobile and give us a running account of where the individual is and when the trooper arrives on the scene, he then makes an observation and based on his observation. He makes the stop. It doesn't need to involve anyone at all, but it helps us a great deal in getting that drunk driver removed from the Now it may not be a drunk driver and maybe someone who is ill and they just aren't able to function in and as a result of that whatever illness they might be suffering. We want to get those hazards removed the road. Just as any motorist who is conscientious person who wants to see our highways safe would do you can do the same thing. If you have a CB radio if you call on a channel 9 all of our base stations monitor Channel 9, and if if it isn't one of these extremely bad weather conditions situations where they have to turn down something because they're getting so many Communications from the radio and all of the different the telephone system your you may not get in but there are other people that that monitor in their base stations and they in turn relay that information to us, we've got fantastic cooperation from people who who monitor at the base stations the the channel 9 system and weave Been able to do an excellent job of responding to the people who have called us any idea what sort of what sort of volume of calls you get on the mobile phone system. We're not getting a lot yet Bob there, you know, it's a relatively new it's a new device and I think a lot of people don't realize that bye-bye darling 911. They're going to get the state patrol with you know with that knowledge as it becomes more and more knowledge knowledgeable to the people. I think we're going to be getting a lot more but we get I can't give you a number of we get five calls a month or something of that nature, but down here in the metro area. We receive a lot of calls from from the mobile telephone people. Okay, let's move on to some more folks with questions at all there and you're letting is listening. (00:11:12) Thank you. I prefer to drive at the speed limit. I always find feel safer and more secure when I'm driving 55 or if I'm on the Interstate 65, but I've been told that it's safer to drive at the speed the tribute prevailing traffic around you is driving and I find that when I try to do that, I'm almost invariably driving somewhere between 60 and 65 on the Twin Cities Highway and sometimes as high as 70 on the interstates and I guess because I feel safer driving at the speed limit. I'd prefer to do that, but I'd like to hear a little bit about the safety issues involved and (00:11:56) yeah this idea of a prevailing traffic speed which is well. She makes a good point number one. Is she she is being a law-abiding citizen because she she feels comfortable driving a 55 and and recognizing that it is the law. She's willing to obey it. There's To be said for you know going with the flow of traffic. We would like to see the flow of traffic flowing along at the legal speed limit. And unfortunately, we find that as a result of the speeds being increased on the interstate. There's a carryover that's occurring and I don't know that it's can all be attributed to carry over but aside from the carryover there's a perception by people that have the speed limit is alright to drive 65 out in this area surely. It must be all right to drive 65 in this area also and it's spilling over onto the four-lane highways that aren't and and on the two-lane roads that that aren't Interstate we've only got 700 miles of the interstate that are designated as 65 miles an hour. We've got over a hundred and Thirty One Thousand Miles of roadway here in the state of Minnesota that the public uses that so it's a very infinitesimally number of miles that are covered in comparison, but she created her question legally to drive 55 miles an hour. That's the thing that you should do if you're involved in a Stan's through somebody else's errors. If you're driving 55 year old being the law of the liability aspect of it is it it certainly is in the other person's hands from the other point of view. You're if you're out there driving in some people say well I can drive a neither Lane at 55. Yes. You can drive a neither Lane at 55 the problem with driving in the left lane at 55 is that they come up behind you they flash their lights. They shake their fist they wave at you and they don't always wave with all other fingers. They they do a lot of things and then after having passed you they probably lay on the horn and then cut in front of you touch the brakes to let you know. They're they're very irritated by your actions. Legally. You can drive the the left lane but for the sake of the the flow of traffic if you if you feel comfortable driving in 55 and someone else insist on Breaking the Law, it's far better for you to move over into the right lane and allow those people to drive on if that's what they're insisting on doing and sooner or later. They're going to meet up with one of Minnesota's finest. That's about a quarter past the hour Roger letting chief of the Minnesota state patrol is with us. Now. It's your turn to ask a question. Go ahead please (00:14:20) thank you. First of all, I would like to thank the colonel and his Troopers for the fine service that they do the state of Minnesota. I think they're really one of the best state patrolled in the nation. Now (00:14:32) Michael is perceptive (00:14:34) my question deals with what the kernel is probably expecting a comment on this court case that has recently determined that in order to stop someone and investigate whether or not there are driving intoxicated there apparently has to be some sort of Pacific observation on the highway I'm puzzled by this because apparently then it would mean that a tip that someone is intoxicated is not enough to investigate that situation and then what also puzzles me is that there's another case of a somewhat of a celebrity who was arrested for intoxication driving while intoxicated when he was sitting in his car in a parking lot and not even driving. I think he just had the motor running and they came up and made him get out and that apparently Was enough for him to be charged and that that cat is not being even tested I guess. So is it a I'm just puzzled that (00:15:40) was interesting cases that that example is meant for coming on excellent. Excellent. First of all, I want to comment on that. I really I didn't I hope he didn't perceives that what I stated was was being facetious II didn't mean that at all. I'm really pleased that I've your comments with regards to the Troopers because they are very hardworking dedicated people and I might also add that for 1987. We we had the distinction of being recognized as the best dressed Highway Patrol or State Patrol police agency in the nation. We're pretty proud of that but he's right. It's interesting about the court case. The defense attorney indicated that there was no probable cause and I'm not familiar enough with the actions of the police officer that as you stated there was a tip and certainly there was but they also they did follow the vehicle for a period of time and I understand that statement was made by Press the leg was 12 blocks. Some action must have occurred during the 12 block period to cause them to make that stop the attempt by the defense attorney to have it dismissed as a result of no no improper actions being taken by the individual. I guess those are things that are decided in a court environment regarding the sitting in an automobile. I remember that where the individual was parked in a parking lot. The motor was running the head lights were on in the party was slumped over the wheel. The law says that you shall not drive operator be an actual physical control of a motor vehicle anywhere in this state will under the influence of drugs or alcohol and the interesting part about that is that that it specifies exactly the circumstances that were involved with this individual City seated in that automobile. If he had shut the engine Off remove the keys and shut his lights out there would have been no action taken and perhaps he did the right thing. I don't know. He may have felt that We have done the right thing by getting off the road realizing his condition or maybe just by accident. He was he went over the curb or he drove into that driving area and stop the automobile what people don't realize is that you can be arrested for drunk driving anywhere in this state and by that and I'm going to use an extreme example here certainly. This hasn't happened. I'm not aware of this happening and I don't mean to suggest that it will happen it can and that the fact is this an individual comes home after A Hard Day's Work. He stopped and he had a few drinks and probably had more drinks than he should have when he arrived home. He became engaged in a heated conversation with his wife. She was very upset with the fact that money was being used for things other than what she felt they should be used for as a result of that discussion. He Stomps out of the house and goes into the garage where the cars park the the keys are in the ignition, but the automobile isn't being isn't being operated. All he wants is to get away from what he perceives as a bad situation. Him, so he gets into the automobile and locks the doors his spouse comes out and seeing the situation tries to get the doors open he refuses to come out there some more words that are exchanged and she goes into the house and calls the local police. I'm tired of this and I want to know something can be done. The local police officer comes out observes the automobile Seated on a park in on his property in his garage. The individual is behind the wheel and physical control the motors not running but the keys are in the ignition. He can be charged with drunk driving because it's physical control of a motor vehicle and I did preface this by saying it's an extreme but nevertheless don't get behind the wheel of an automobile. If you've been drinking lock those keys in the car something else Roger you said that you won the the award for best dressed police agency in the country who's your fashion consultant? Well that question was asked to me that you know, why do you feel that? We got this in the end. I made the remark that it's because of the excellent physical condition of the Troopers that model is uniform golly. Such a man of modesty. Let's move on to another caller here. Hello, you're on with Roger letting yes, ma'am. Go (00:19:42) ahead. (00:19:54) Yes, they are. That's another story. Okay. What is your question (00:19:58) ma'am? That's right. I have a 55 miles an hour. It took me 12 minutes extra gets a little egg in 55 and (00:20:18) 70. So there's an endorsement of the 55 mile an hour speed limit. I wonder Roger if we have now seen the the Congress also change the law to allow 55 on some non freeway, but almost freeway type roads. That's right Bob. We have some of those almost freeway roads here in the state of Minnesota. For example, we have one that from Rochester down to Interstate 90. It's an 8-mile stretch that has X deceleration lanes and acceleration lanes for entrance and exit from the from that segment of roadway and it does qualify for an increase in the speed limit if the state so desires and they just recently did increase that cement fact yesterday. They increase the speed limit to 65 on that 8-mile stretch because it is so resembles the the freeway system Interstate 90 Another area around Little Falls the bypass around Little Falls, but because of the congestion here, it isn't practical to increase the speed limit for that short area and also because of the the flow of traffic in that area. There's another area down on Highway 16 Madelia. So there are several locations in the state. But the one that that does qualify in the department of transportation did increase was that eight miles of roadway, I believe it's Highway 63 from Rochester down to Interstate 90. Well, I wonder how long it'll be before they do it on some two lanes Congress authorizes it on two lanes. Well, I have some I have you know, I've got some very strong feelings about it. I feel this way that people are we're not obeying the 55 mile an hour speed limit and I did state that when I was I spent the time on the road that I did when the speed limit was 65 and 70. I was picking them up for 85 and 90, and now that the speeds of dropped the Troopers are picking them up for 65 and 70 now that speeds have increased. Once again, we're finding that We're picking them up for much much faster speeds. What we did find was that from the period from the 17th of June until the end of September. We did a check to see what was going on and we didn't put any extra emphasis on speed enforcement on those 65s roads. We just expected those people to the Troopers to enforce the laws they as they would do because they have a lot of other roads that they have responsibilities for and during that period of time there were 222222 people picked up four speeds of between 70 and 74 1735 for speeds between 75 and 79 298 be four speeds between 80 and 84 84 speeds between 85 and 89 27 for Speed between 90 and 94 and 24 speeds over a hundred miles an hour. So it you know, they're the suggestion being that if if you raise the speed limit is 65, there will be a better compliance because people are in fact driving 65. Anyway, well we're fine. Other people have their let me be a lot of them driving 65 and I certainly hope that there are we're finding a lot of them that aren't just as a result of what's taking place in our enforcement actions moving on is more people with questions. Hello. Raja lighting is a single head, please. (00:23:24) Hello. I've got a question and an observation. My observation is that in the Saturday and Sunday driving that I have an opportunity to do when there's snow it seems that it doesn't get cleared off the highways now. I'm talking about our state. I'm in the Alexandria Area and by Monday morning the snow has been pretty well packed down. Oh pack and then the then the trucks are out again. Now, I don't know if this is the County's fault or whose it is, but my question is does the highway patrol have put into when the plows are out or what is there that determines when the power should be out? Is there a sort of a time off on weekend and they do their ploughing? Entering the average Monday to Friday work week (00:24:13) well with if the if the weather conditions change very dramatically in the end, they can change they could for example, they could be between Sauk Centre in Alexandria. They could be very icy roads. We're west of Alexandria. The roads would be dry. It's just one of those unusual circumstances. We report this to the Department of Transportation and then they in turn come odd and they do the necessary sanding or plowing in an area where you've got a large area. The responsibility is to win the plows come out and do their job rests on the supervisors that are with the Department of Transportation who call our crews out if they aren't, you know, if it isn't during regularly scheduled hours and and that's an area out there where there's a lot of you get a lot of that drifting from the North Dakota when I guess I could offend someone from North Dakota by saying that but from the the North Dakota wins the Red River Valley, that's its Area where there it does get very windy and the drifting occurs in even though the plows might go out and plow the roads. You're still going to find that there's snow sticking to the roads as a result of the sanding that the department does but all in all I think the Department of Transportation really does an excellent job. We've got a Minnesota's got a reputation for having some good very good maintenance on our roads. I realized that there's a there's roads out there that have got the potholes and they've got the problems but with regards to weather conditions, they're very quick to respond in the eye in some of the cases. I really think and I've had the experience I lived in Alexandria for a period of time. It's the roads can they can drift over even after the plows gone by and with the heavy traffic on Interstate 94 and there is a lot of truck traffic out there. They can they'll beat that down in and you've got that problem who issues recommendations that there be no travel in certain Is and who has the authority actually closed roads? Well, we issue the recommendations if the Troopers are out there, they're getting first-hand experience with what the problems are and the barricades are placed in their the public is advised that they're they're not to travel if someone chooses to go around the barricade there they do so with the full knowledge that there won't be anyone out there to give them any assistance. We can't we can't we can't block the road to the extent that we no one is permitted. It's a public Highway taxpayers are out there and they're their intent is to use it but we've told people people come through with four-wheel drive units and say I know that I can make it and I insist upon being permitted to do so and they're advised that there won't be anyone out there to come on get them until after the storm is over if they should unfortunately get stuck because we can't get through in the they go out and find out that they can't get through and they have to call out armored personnel carriers and such. That's right. You come out. All right, let's move on to some more folks with questions. Hello there. You're on the air now. (00:27:05) Oh, thank you. First of all, I'd like to make an observation. I personally like to 60 I'm out our speed limit on those highways and then I have a question what guidelines do officers use when they stopped someone they suspect is driving under the influence in testing this person. I know of someone who was stopped by an officer and she put him through a sequence of touch your nose stand on one leg and everything and then left it at that and did not administer a breathalyzer. Why don't the officers if they suspect a driver is under the influence just go right ahead and give them the the breathalyzer test. (00:27:44) Well, I don't know the circumstances. You know what you're describing here. You was there if it was there a charge made for drunk driving? No, no. Okay. So first of all, the the trooper makes an observation whether or not and there's a number of things that we look for a fan if a car is weaving on the road of it's driving too fast driving too slow driving with the high beam headlights on feeling too dim for other Vehicles driving in a literary at night with without any lights on taking wide turn. Failing to stop for stop signs these things don't necessarily mean that the individual operating the vehicle is under the influence, but it's an unusual action and it brings that attention to the trooper that this is a possibility when they approached the automobile. First of all, they see how long it takes for the individual to produce his or her driver's license and then to detect if there's the odor of alcohol in the breath if the speech is slurred if the eyes you can tell by the by the eyes if their watery or whatever and and again, I want to point out that that doesn't necessarily mean you're intoxicated but the combination of things could lead a person to believe that that's the case. We have a test that we call the Gaze nystagmus what the Gaze nystagmus test gaze. Nice Agnes I statements. Yes. This is a it's a it's a relatively simple test and what it amounts to is that the trooper will hold a finger pointing Towards the Sky in front of an individual's face just a short distance from the nose and move the finger from side to side and then watch the movie. Of the eye and if the movement of the eye is it moves very smoothly. It's an indication that the person is certainly not under the influence. But when the the Motions are of a jerky nature, this is an I guess it's difficult for me to describe a jerky nature and have someone listening understand what I'm saying, but it's just that the movement is not smooth. It's an indication that the muscles in the I are not the they're not as coordinated with the rest of the body an indication that the person may have had much too much to drink. Well the test that you refers to yes, there are tests the where the individual is asked to stand with the feet close together in the close their eyes and take their finger their index finger and touch their nose surprising. How many people can't do that when they've had a few drinks? We the fact that the test was administered. Apparently the individual who was some was subjected to the test satisfied the the trooper that she wasn't in the And at the trooper originally perceived her to be and satisfied the Troopers that that this person was was in an normal enough condition to be able to operate that motor vehicle. But but the trooper has the opportunity to make a scientific kind of evaluation. That is the breathalyzer rather than relying on this following the finger and touching your nose. Why not? If somebody's weaving or doing some fun to just give them the breathalyzer right away well because the trooper then takes the individual into the local it might be the sheriff's department to local police department and requires that they submitted this test it ties up the individual for a period of time. And of course the automobile is left on the road. It's told in and there's an expense involved there. I would have to believe that in the case that was described here that the driver that automobile satisfied the trooper that that there wasn't enough drinking involved to cause the trooper to feel that this party was going to be a continued to be an unsafe driver out there on the road and therefore it. Subject them to additional tests that would have taken that person's time. Okay, we have about twenty five or six minutes left with Raj letting chief of the state patrol and lots of people with questions. Go ahead, please you're (00:31:21) next. Thank you. I have two parts to my question one is that I seem to see a lot of drivers that have a lot of fumes burning oil and so forth coming out of the back of their car and I just wondered if anything's ever done about that and the second part is that it seems like a lot of people drive with their parking lights on around dusk. And in other states that I've lived this has been illegal and to be honest. I don't know if it's illegal in Minnesota, but I never drive with my parking lights on I was thought that meant I was Park someplace or stopped at least on the side of the road. So I just wondered what your reaction to those two are (00:31:54) I'd like to address that parking lights so first and the law says that if it's necessary that that headlights that lights be used that they must be headlights in your right parking lights are for parking. I think that some people when they put their lights that put the parking lights on they don't realize they've got their parking lights. And they just don't pull that switch out to the next the next indentation so that they get their headlights on but headlights certainly anytime that it's necessary to to illuminate user and the lights on your automobile. Use your headlights in inclement weather. The one thing that I find is so many people that operate their automobiles in inclement weather without using their headlights. The headlights are not for the purposes of allowing you to see where you're going because in dhahran dark days, you can see where you're going the headlights don't do that much good but they tell the other person where you're at and it's just a courtesy to the other motorists out there to put those headlights on so that he knows where you're at he or she does so that in the event that there's a need for the person to make a left turn or change lanes. It's very apparent that you're there and in many people become irritated because somebody suddenly makes a turn without by signaling but the the turn is so quick that they feel that they're they're being put to you. Into a hazardous situation when in fact, they create that situation by not using driving with their headlights on it's you know, you don't have to do it on a sunshiny day. But if you choose to that's fine because you're identifying yourself to the other motorists and by all means check it's difficult sometimes but check to see that it isn't on high beam because those headlights on high beam are almost as irritating in the daytime as they are at night that's quite a glare that they produce with regards to the to the fumes coming from automobiles. We don't have a vehicle inspection law here in the state of Minnesota. But that person who's allowing that much fumes to escape from his automobile. It's pretty apparent that he's not operating very efficiently and although it may cost him an initial cost to get that repair made. He's going to come out better in the long run because he isn't going to be using all that gasoline and oil that he's using by allowing the vehicle to be operated in the in the condition that it is there is talk at least in the metropolitan area requiring vehicle inspections for pollution control reasons. Would the patrol support those Statewide. Do you expect that? You would uncover A lot of safety violations if there were held. Yes. I think we would uncover a lot Bob and up in our purpose wouldn't certainly be for the for that it would be to encourage people to get it taken care of so that they would pass those inspections a number of states have vehicle inspections and they're very concerned about the pollution and you're right down here in the metro area. We're concerned about it for our Trooper sake Trooper attends an accident on the freeway in the traffic congestion is just unbelievable around him, especially during rush hour. He's inhaling all of those fumes as he stands out there attending to the to the accident taking care of the needs of the victims of the accident. So it's not a very comfortable thing for the trooper for us and it's really tough when you're inhaling those fumes on a really warm day when all of that heat off of the road is is it's coming off the road down here and temperature is much hotter on that freeway than it is. Just just off the freeway be just as by virtue of what same place but the same thing occurs down here on a cold. Because the exhaust stays low because of the the Heat or the cold pushing it down and the Troopers become subjected to that sort of thing. We cover a lot of accidents down here. So short of gas masks. I guess that we the Troopers are putting up with it because it's they have to it's part of their job. If you had gas masks there would go that fashioned word on that. Let's move on to another listener with question. Hello there. You're on the air (00:35:34) now. Thank you. Two things. I'd like to bring up please the section of 35e between West 7th. And Grand Avenue is a real problem area for Speeders. Could that be patrolled more often? Number two if Rush Hour Speeders could be mailed citations. The patrolman wouldn't have to slow up traffic in order to enforce the law. Thank you very (00:36:00) much. Well with regards to the two mailing the citations the law requires that we make a positive identification and the only way that we Do that is by stopping the individual and requiring that they produce their drivers license. It was theirs. It's been tried in one of the states. They have a device where if the radar is tripped at a certain speed a pictures taken of the automobile. They have the license plate the individual behind the wheel and then it's a contractual Arrangement that's made with the company that handles this device with a particular police department and I'm thinking one particular Police Department. The response is about if the person is contacted he mails his ticket in Andhra meals is fine money in if he hasn't contacted it's disregarded because of the large volume that they're dealing with it, isn't it? It requires positive identification and it becomes a legal thing when you're dealing with the court system. The the attorneys would require would demand that their that it would it would require a lot genes. I guess. That's that's that's my best response. You're right. It would certainly free the Troopers up. But under the circumstances that exist today we have to do it though the way in which are doing it in order for us to complete a case with regards to 35e. He's right. There's a there are there's the speed is increased down there but it's increased all over the metro area. We do have Troopers down here and it's interesting that that he makes the comment about could something be done in that area. I had a conversation with an individual recently who was concerned because we were down there we were arresting people for speeding and he felt that perhaps the that Troopers time could be better utilized in another area. Well, it's you know, I if the law requires that the speed be enforcer that the speed be a certain speed certainly we're going to enforce it on whatever road we have a responsibility for rad. You're letting is with us. He's chief of the Minnesota state patrol. We've got about 20 minutes left here. Let's move on to your question. Hello there. (00:38:12) Hi. Yes. I've got a question about seatbelt. If you do see a possibility in the near future of having an on-the-spot monetary penalty for non-compliant. And if so, do you think it will have a good effect on people wearing their seatbelt? (00:38:33) I think that law is a very difficult thing to enforce if there is no penalty connected with it because it's perceived by many people is why should I why should I concern myself with it? I think that a penalty I think that for any law to be effective there has to be a penalty and that includes a seatbelt law. I know that the there are people members of the seatbelt Coalition and members of the legislature who are very interested in seeing to it that there is a penalty included in the law. I think it's unfortunate that we have to have a law in order to get people to do something that is safe thing to do and it's it doesn't cost a cent. Only takes a second. But if that's what it takes to have people become a safer have a safer environment when they're out on the highway. I guess that's that's necessary did seat belt use go up at all after the law was passed. Yes. It did. We had a in some areas of the state. We had a 14 percent compliance with seat belts just a voluntary people voluntarily wore them and then when the seatbelt law went into effect it Rose as high as 40% here in the Twin Cities, but there was a competition between Minneapolis and st. Paul and that that really helped right now Statewide. We've got a 32 percent usage of seat belts and we are the second lowest for seatbelt usage state in the United States that has a seatbelt law and we are the only one that doesn't have a penalty. Here's our next question or go ahead please Roger letting is listening for (00:40:01) you. Yes can let it go the state patrol cars are extremely conspicuous principally because of the light bars on top there. Have you considered making them a little less conspicuous? So you could pick up the speed as a little easier to do. (00:40:16) Well we have we have three types of Patrol units we have what is called a Class A the ones that have the low-profile light bar on them. And of course, they're they're necessary particularly down here in the metro area because the the trooper needs all of the protection that he can get and provide to the people when he arrives at the scene of an accident in spite of that over the Thanksgiving weekend. We did have a little little problem weather-wise down here. We had five of our squad cars damaged. They were parked at accident scenes protecting the scene getting information attending to the injured and someone coming down driving too fast apparently attracted to the to the light like a moth to the flame and drove right into our squad car more interested in seeing what's going on at the accident scene and where they're going. So the the the the mark unit does perform a definite function we have what we call clean roof Automobiles, and those are the same autumn You'll without the the the light rack on the roof. They're used in more in the rural parts of the state than they are in this part of the state. All right in the metro area. We have portable lights that are attached with a magnet on the roof of the automobile so that they can be placed on there at the scene of an accident or when they're on their way to an accident. What is called commonly known as the Kojak light. Yeah, and then we do have unmarked cars by law. We are allowed 10% of our Fleet to be unmarked and we have we have 51 automobiles that I hesitate to use the word unmarked because we do have markings on these automobiles on the right door. There's a shield that indicates this is this is a Minnesota state patrol unit and it's driven by a uniform Trooper. So we do have we have the the three different methods and we're going to the more modern lights. On our on our squads were going to the halogen lights and and also the strobes because we found that they're much more noticeable moving onto another question or go ahead please Rogers listening for your question. (00:42:17) Hello. Yes. Hello. I have a question regarding the caller who called in earlier. She was talking about left lane people using the left lane and so forth. I've experienced in other parts of the world. There are some regulations about cars using the left lane and and passing on the right. Would you be in favor of any kind of regulations of that sort, maybe something the effect of would not be it would not be permissible to use the the right lane for passing or what your thoughts beyond (00:42:48) that. I guess one of the problems that the would be suggested by that would be if a person is driving at legal speeds in the left lane and someone chooses to drive you legally if they drive if they pass in the right lane II don't know if the other person doesn't You'll over to the right what I'd like to see is and we do have a law that says You must keep to the right except to pass those signs were taken down and the enforcement was was was not we it hasn't been done because with the 55 mile an hour speed limit why we felt that there was a perception that everyone would be driving at 55 and all of the lanes would be pretty much filled in or used so that requiring that everybody pull over to the right creates a problem, especially down here in the Metro because pulling over to the right all of the time you're in you're in the right lane on the freeway, you're now being subjected to all of the traffic that's entering from the other the acceleration Lanes from from some of the other streets so that people that want to get on the freeway. So you're you're constantly being your jockeying around in order to allow those people to get in and I think that it's better that that it be handled in the way it is being handled now, especially when you've got three lanes of traffic moving in the same direction sometimes those right Turn out to be exit Lanes to after a few months that yes. Yes. That's true. Yes, that is very true. All right. We have 15 minutes left with Roger letting and more pokes with questions. Hello, you're on with him. Now (00:44:15) you're talking about. Highlights and I think there's a design problem here. It would seem to be fairly simple for the manufacturers to indicate on the switch where you lights are and the well illuminated areas like downtown Minneapolis at night. You see people pull out from parking places and the roadway is so well illuminated. They're not aware that they don't have their lights on that's (00:44:49) true. It is very true. And I think that it is incumbent upon the manufactured to provide some indication there that the lights the lights are on a they do have an indicator that indicates the lights on high beam in a well-lit area. It does happen. And but those are the things that attract the law enforcement officer to the fact that perhaps is individual doesn't have all of his faculties working just the way he should and I realize a person can be perfectly sober neglect to put the lights on because it is so well illuminated. It drove the opinion you have in fact put your lights on. I want to go back to one young lady made a comment when she called. She said I like the 65 speed limit. Well, I do too in the areas where the 65 is permitted because those are roadways that are designed to handle speeds of 65 miles an hour. I don't like the 65 speed limit in roads that aren't that aren't designated or or can handle higher speeds more safely. What's happening is that people are driving 65 on two lane road ways and they're not backing off by that. I mean that you pick a safe area between you and the person in front of you and there's a reaction time when you take your foot off the gas and go to the break it takes a split second to do. So and that time is the same whether you're doing a hundred miles an hour or 35 miles an hour. So when people drive at 65 miles an hour, they should really back off the bumper of that person in front but people become so accustomed driving 55, they take a certain space and they're using that same. Space at 65 miles an hour and we are having six and seven and eight and 10 and we had 130 car accident out here on the freeway just because people are tailgating what's so difficult about this is that people you you drive conscientiously and you leave a safe space in front of you and someone invariably takes it and then you back off and somebody takes it again and after they've done this three or four times you say I'm not giving it up anymore and you start doing the same thing that you don't like to see other people doing. I don't know the answer to it. It's it requires driver courtesy. And unfortunately, we everybody out there that drives is not courteous more folks with questions here will take you next to all (00:46:57) there. Hi, I've got a question for the colonel about the length of the speed laws are enforced on the highways in particular have noticed that on my way to and from work in the morning on the on the freeways. I commute to downtown Minneapolis that I very very seldom see the any type of Enforcement vehicle on the road and the speed they're usually well in excess of the other posted speeds and I just think that the way that people who are who are driving at these times most of the most of the drivers on the road are exceeding the speed limit. I think it just kind of they get the the impression that the speed laws aren't going to be enforced. So that it other times they might also be ignoring the speed (00:47:49) laws. All right Roger you want to come along? Yeah, he makes an excellent point. There's two there's two things with regards to his is common and one of them is this that during rush hour. There's a volume of traffic out there Troopers. Generally, they've from their own experiences. They know that there's going to be an accident in somewhere and they've got a pretty good idea where that might be if the trooper gets into the flow of traffic. He controls the traffic around him. Perhaps within two blocks three blocks here. Is ability of such maybe even up to a half a mile if the trooper does take enforcement action and believe me they do but it's got to be something of a rather severe nature because if you're out there on the freeway and it's during rush hour the trooper find someone that's violating the law and let's see. Let's say speed in the left lane of traffic. He gets behind the individual puts his lights on and then he has to direct that individual across three lanes of traffic over onto the shoulder of the road, which is really a tough thing to do nevertheless, you know, they can do it but it creates a problem for people five miles behind if that vehicle is then put over on the shoulder of the road the trooper activates his warning lights to make people aware of the fact that there's a not there's a possible Hazard over here everyone slows down and some people slow down to the point where they almost stopped which in fact creates a problem five miles back people do stop in there. The the question is why I mean, what's the problem down here when they finally get to the location? There it is. It's a With a Troopers park behind a vehicle whether it's to assist them because they're disabled or because of a violation that they witnessed and after that the traffic clears and away they go the there the Troopers are there out there, but you don't see that they're more parked than they are then they are in motion because they've if an emergency comes up, they've got to be able to respond to that emergency. And so they're getting themselves prepared for it. And especially in the wintertime people make a comment about the seeing the trooper down Ian what we call Spaghetti Junction. Why are they sitting there? Are they interested in seeing somebody come around that curve so they can pounce on them and that's not the case at all in Spaghetti Junction. The speed limit down here is recommended 35 miles an hour. Although people don't necessarily get down at 35 nevertheless. They have to slow down because of the just just the Contour of the area down here. But that happens to be a central location for the Troopers in that particular area. They go all the way out to 280 going West on I-94. They go east. All the way over to 494 694 they go north up to Highway 96 and they also go south so that it's a central location. If they get an accident call, they're not going to be too far away from that accident location when the call comes out and they know there's going to be an accident call because it happens all the time. All right, we have a bunch of people with questions and about seven eight minutes to deal with them in let's take your question next at all there. (00:50:40) Hello, thank you very much for this fine program. I am strongly interested for improved safety and driving at lowood daylight visibility for a new law to be established that all Vehicles operating on roadways must have their headlights on ivi. There are devices buzzer simple buzzer devices that are available that would indicate that the headlights are on when the ignition has been turned off. I hope this might be possible and if you think it's a good idea, I'd like to have your opinion I'd also Like to know if how you think what I what I could do to help Institute such a law. (00:51:20) I think it has to come from the it should come from the federal level because the coming from the federal level this would put it in our all automobiles. That would be operating on the roadway. The law says that if an object is not clearly discernible from a distance of 500 feet, you must use headlights and in during inclement weather. It's a very apparent that objects are not clearly discernible within a distance of 500 feet high winds in the end drifting snow, even though the sun is shining. It's a good time to be using your headlights and a on a cloudy overcast day when you've got light snow another time certainly to be using your headlights and it's to identify you to the other individuals so that they can perhaps take evasive action of something something occurs out there. I like the idea that that the individual that there be something whereby the the lights would go on through the ignition. I there would prevent the opportunity for discharged batteries out there, especially Cold weather with a battery could freeze up because someone forgets to turn the headlights off. That's the big item is use them but forget don't forget to turn them off because you really you really got yourself a problem. I think from the federal it would be better handled from the federal level because that type of legislation would it would include the whole United States and make us the safest country in the world? Okay. Thanks for waiting. It's your turn to ask a question now Idol there. (00:52:39) Thank you very much. Yes, first up just like to make a comment a great show. I think it's marvelous that you're getting especially this late left lane problem out to the people because as the as the kernel probably can realize more than a lot of people first for people to think they should stay in the left lane at 55 all the time with the difference in automobile sizes engines from four-cylinder to an eight cylinder and reaction times for people etcetera. He may appreciate and I'd like to hear the answer. I have turned my radio off after I finish that with the reaction time and the difference in cars and breaking power. Which in some cases very short and others it takes a long time and a long trip, especially like for a traveling salesman. It can make quite a difference in a few miles. Even if he is legally only doing 55. Now. The other thing I would like to bring up is I run a grocery store by the University of Minnesota. And I notice that there is 9 out of 10 people that have no idea that the parking meter is set so that your front bumper should be at the parking meter. That's the way the parkings is set up. Everybody pulls up by the front door by the right side door to see the meter and they leave the cars are now legally that is at time they can give them a tag if if they're parked their front wheel, that's the front meter. They can give them a ten dollar tag, which they do multiple times here at D and I always wonder why and if Minnesota is doing anything to teach them at the driver's education test on things like this, they teach them to take a right turn and the right lane or a left. Turn to a next street on the left lane of the right side and why they don't teach them about (00:54:20) parking. Yeah, he's got a point people, you know, it does require your bumper should be right along side of the meter not you're not your door because you're taking up to spark two parking spaces by by that action. I there is no I'm not aware of any thing in driver training that would indicate that requirement and I suppose that it's an expectation that people just know that and I you can't expect people to just know things like that. That's good point. I I didn't realize I guess it's because I always Park the way that I pull up and I see other people pulling up in the end using the the the parking meters in the manner that I do, but I'm sure that you know, when someone takes two spots the parking is at a premium and in the Twin Cities at any rate the other the other comment was a was with regards to Traveling in and using the left lane, you know, it's just common courtesy if the if the right lane is open and and there's you're able to make the movement over there safely. Why not use it there's why is it that people so and they insist upon being in the left lane of traffic when they're creating a problems in some cases. They're driving 55, but they're speedometer and in fact our speedometers off, they might be driving at 52 and 53 miles an hour. Perhaps even 50 miles an hour. It does happen. There are there are number of vehicles that do have some speedometer are in them. And I like as I stated I like 55, but I like all of it. I want to drive all of it because I want to get where I'm going also and I and there's many people that have the same feelings about it that I do. Okay, we've got time for one or maybe two more questions. We'll see here. Go ahead. You're (00:56:01) next. Yes, my question concerns the use of turn signals when changing lanes. I notice that the state troopers always use theirs but a very small percentage of the other drivers use their turn signal when they change lanes are local. Police department does not either he isn't a law or is it a courtesy and if it is a law could it be posted? Thank (00:56:20) you. I like you. I tell you what it is a law and it is common courtesy. The law says you shall not move either right or left on a highway until you first determine that it is safe to do so and then only after giving the appropriate signal and that means when you're traveling down the road if you're passing someone you have to move to the left and as you move to the left before you do so you should check it to see that it's safe and then put your signal on and after you've passed that individual put your signal back on again. It's common courtesy the people that are traveling on that road when they see if there's someone over taking in the left lane and they see you put your signal on if they're courteous any kind of a courteous person at all. They're going to back off to allow you to make that to make that that lane change and and then the person who you're passing when you put the signal back on you're letting them know what you're going to be doing and chances are they're going to give you a little extra space so that you can get back in again. It is definitely the law and it is definitely a very courteous thing to do. Have owned many Automobiles and I've never worn out the turn signals on any one of them and I use them all the time. We have one minute left. Let's take a very brief question and equally brief answer. Hello. (00:57:25) All right, you mentioned that 48% of the accident involved alcohol. Does that mean precisely that in 48 percent of the Accents in the state, at least one of the individuals was above point one percent or does it mean that's a in 48 percent of the cases any individual in the cars fault. The accident had simply been drinking but even above below passenger whenever (00:57:48) it would be alcohol-related and it would be in the fatals 48% of the fatal accidents whether it be drinking involved whether it be a pedestrian, for example, it could be a pedestrian Under the Influence involved in a be could would be the Fatal naturally but alcohol involvement to that extent Roger we run out of time. Thank you very much for coming in been very interesting as always. I guess. It's It's difficult for me to to make the same and I complement the audience but you've got a fantastic listening audience out. There. They are the questions the the perceptions. Yeah, I can't say enough and it's not a it's probably not the thing. I should be saying, but I can't help it to it. Well, I'll say to you. Happy New Year. Well, I'll say the same to you and may we have 366 days of the best year of ever. It's that time of the year again the end of the year time to look back on the stories that made the headlines this past year. This is Gary eichten today on NPR Journal. We're going to recall some of those stories and some of the big stories of the year that didn't make the headlines. We'll also have the latest news and weather and we hope you'll tune in MPR Journal is broadcast at 5:00 on FM 5:30 on thirteen Thirty a m-- today's broadcast of midday made possible by Ka re with weather reports from the news 11 backyard. This is Bob Potter speaking. In the Twin Cities, it's going to be cold today Winds of 25 miles an hour or so from the Northwest causing very bitter wind chill conditions. This is ksjn Minneapolis-Saint Paul. It's one o'clock.