This bill amends various sections of Minnesota Statutes concerning traffic regulations and motor vehicle equipment, with a focus on enhancing road safety and compliance with modern standards. Key changes include clarifying local authority to regulate traffic, introducing new requirements for vehicle lighting during adverse weather and for school buses, and establishing visibility standards for headlamps, taillamps, and reflectors. The bill also repeals outdated provisions, updates terminology related to vehicle equipment, and specifies exemptions for certain implements of husbandry from specific lighting requirements. Additionally, it introduces stricter regulations on the use of colored lights on vehicles and outlines conditions for their activation, while prohibiting the operation of vehicles with obstructed windshields or side windows.

Further amendments streamline the vehicle registration process, particularly for tax-exempt vehicles and those registered by veterans with service-connected disabilities. The bill allows individuals leasing vehicles to extend registration periods and clarifies the issuance of original registration plates for older vehicles. It modifies towing regulations, specifying conditions under which vehicles may be towed and emphasizing compliance with tax payments. The bill also grants the commissioner of public safety authority over the approval of vehicle equipment and extends noise regulations to motorcycles. Overall, the bill aims to improve vehicle safety, enhance compliance with registration laws, and ensure that vehicle equipment meets established standards.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 169.04, 169.47, 169.55, 169.57, 169.64, 169.71, 168.09, 168.12, 169.79, 169.045, 169.19, 169.222, 169.225, 169.541, 169.58, 169.59, 169.62, 169.999, 168.012, 168.0135, 168.017, 168.123, 168.124, 168.125, 168.127, 168.15, 168.16, 168.187, 168.27, 168.29, 168.31, 168B.035