Here’s When You Can Legally Turn Left on Red in Minnesota
I live in Rogers, MN and each day have to turn left at a light to merge onto I-94 to get to work.
The wait to turn left is notorious for being a long one, even when I'm the only one at the stoplight. There have been times I've considered turning left anyway when the lanes next to me have a green light and no one's coming from the opposite direction. But ultimately I respect the law, and I know that the one time I do decide to risk it I'll suddenly find myself pulled over by an unforgiving police officer I didn't see hiding nearby.
I was brushing up on my Minnesota driving laws recently and discovered that there is an instance when it is legal to turn left on red. Most of us already know that it's legal to turn right on red unless otherwise indicated by signage. But there's an occasion when it's acceptable to turn left on red as well. According to DrivingLaws.com, the Left-On-Red Rule states:
In Minnesota, a motorist can do a left turn after stopping at a red light only from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Of course, motorists need to follow the normal right-of-way rules and proceed with caution when making the turn.
Basically, if you're on a one-way and turning left onto another one-way, you can legally turn left on a red light. Here's an example using South 6th Street and South Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis:
Unfortunately, the Left-on-Red doesn't apply to my painfully flow stoplight in Rogers. In fact, I can't even think of any intersections in the St. Cloud area where it would apply. Keep it in mind next time you're in downtown Minneapolis, though!