Work zone safety and work zone driving rules required as driver education and driver examination subjects, driver's manual required to include work zone safety information, rulemaking authorized, and money appropriated.
HF2975 would require Minnesota to add work zone and road construction worker safety to driver education, the driver's manual, and the written driver’s license examination. The bill directs the commissioner of public safety to adopt rules for driver education programs in public schools, private schools, and commercial driver training schools so that instruction covers safe speeds in work zones, driver duties when entering and exiting work zones, the dangers of distracted driving, work zone markings and traffic control devices, and safe merging when lanes are closed.
The bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to include a work zone safety section in each edition of the driver's manual. That section must explain work zone speed limits, the surcharge for speeding in a work zone, common markings and devices, distracted driving laws, and best practices for merging in construction areas. In addition, the bill amends the driver’s license examination statute so applicants must be tested on work zone and road construction worker safety, including speed limits, markings, vehicle operation requirements, and distracted driving in work zones. It includes a one-time appropriation to cover rulemaking and updating the manual and exam materials.
The bill would amend Minnesota Statutes sections 171.01, 171.0701, 171.0705, and 171.13 by formally adding work zone safety as a required subject in driver education, the driver’s manual, and driver licensing exams. It would also authorize the commissioner of public safety to adopt implementing rules and provide a one-time appropriation from the driver and vehicle services operating account to pay for those changes. The practical effect would be to expand state driver training and testing requirements and to standardize work zone safety information in state-issued materials.
The available record suggests the bill is framed as a safety measure and appears noncontroversial in its purpose, with no recorded committee debate or votes provided. Its focus on protecting road workers and educating drivers about construction-zone rules indicates a generally supportive public-safety orientation. Because no transcripts or vote history are included, there is no evidence of opposition in the materials provided.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues that could arise from the bill include the cost of rulemaking, updating the driver’s manual, and revising examination content, as well as the administrative burden on driver education providers and the Department of Public Safety. However, the record supplied does not show any member, stakeholder, or committee objection on those grounds.