1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; authorizing peace 
  1.3             officers to arrest persons within four hours of a 
  1.4             violation for failure to yield to an emergency 
  1.5             vehicle; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.6             169.20, subdivision 5. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.20, 
  1.9   subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 5.  [EMERGENCY VEHICLE.] (a) Upon the immediate 
  1.11  approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at 
  1.12  least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal 
  1.13  atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front 
  1.14  of such vehicle and, except where otherwise not required by law, 
  1.15  when the driver is giving audible signal by siren, the driver of 
  1.16  each other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall 
  1.17  immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as 
  1.18  possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway clear of 
  1.19  any intersection, and shall stop and remain in this position 
  1.20  until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when 
  1.21  otherwise directed by a police officer.  The driver of another 
  1.22  vehicle on a one-way roadway shall drive to the closest edge or 
  1.23  curb and stop.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle 
  1.24  escorting the movement of a vehicle or load which is oversize or 
  1.25  overweight need not sound an audible signal by siren but shall 
  1.26  exhibit the light required by this paragraph.  The driver of 
  2.1   each other vehicle then shall yield the right-of-way, as 
  2.2   required by this paragraph, to the emergency vehicle escorting 
  2.3   the vehicle or load which is oversize or overweight. 
  2.4      (b) Upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle 
  2.5   the driver of each street car and the operator of each trackless 
  2.6   trolley car shall immediately stop such car clear of any 
  2.7   intersection and keep it in this position and keep the doors and 
  2.8   gates of the street car or trackless trolley car closed until 
  2.9   the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when 
  2.10  otherwise directed by a police officer. 
  2.11     (c) A peace officer may arrest the driver of a motor 
  2.12  vehicle if the peace officer has probable cause to believe that 
  2.13  the driver has operated the vehicle in violation of paragraph 
  2.14  (a) within the past four hours. 
  2.15     (d) This subdivision shall not operate to relieve the 
  2.16  driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive 
  2.17  with due regard for the safety of persons using the highways.