Open car door on highway

Question:I recently saw a vehicle going down the highway with one of the car doors left wide open, I believe it was the right rear door of this four-door vehicle. It appeared that the person in the vehicle was hauling something and unable to shut their car door. Whatever they were hauling was sticking out just barely, but the car door was completely open. I was wondering if this is illegal.

Answer:If the right rear door was completely open, I would say that was illegal. There is no requirement for a passenger door to be on a vehicle (for example, Jeeps, delivery trucks, etc.); however, the door being opened cannot inhibit the flow of traffic. Minnesota State Statute (M.S.S.) has laws in reference to extending beyond fenders and projecting loads.

M.S.S. 169.80 subdivision 3 says, “No passenger-type vehicle shall be operated on any highway with any load carried thereon extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of such vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the right side thereof.”

For loads projected to the front, M.S.S. 169.81 says, “The load upon any vehicle operated alone, or the load upon the front vehicle of a combination of vehicles, shall not extend more than three feet beyond the front wheels of such vehicle or the front bumper of such vehicle if it is equipped with such a bumper.”

For loads projecting out to the back, M.S.S. 169.52 says, “When the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear four feet or more beyond the bed or body of such vehicle, there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times when lighted lamps on vehicles are required in this chapter, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the sides and rear. The light or lantern required under this section shall be in addition to the rear light required upon every vehicle. At any time when no lights are required, there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of such load a red, yellow or orange flag or cloth not less than 16 inches square.”

A portion of state statutes were used with permission from the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205. (You can follow him on Twitter @MSPPIO_NW or reach him at, jesse.grabow@state.mn.us).

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