Staying In Your Lane
Minn. Stat. 169.18 — as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane, and no move until it can be made with safety
One lane. On a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes, a vehicle is driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane, and is not moved from the lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.
The center of three. On a two-way roadway divided into three lanes, the center lane is used only to overtake and pass where the roadway is clearly visible and the center lane is clear within a safe distance, to prepare for a left turn, or where it is allocated to traffic in the driver's direction and signposted. The left lane of such a roadway is not used for passing.
The bicycle lane. A motor vehicle is not driven in a bicycle lane except to park where parking is permitted, to enter or leave the highway, to prepare for a turn, or for a school bus stopping with its flashing red signals on and its stop arm extended.
Signs and roundabouts. Official signs may direct slow-moving traffic to a designated lane, and drivers obey them. A vehicle over 40 feet long or ten feet wide, or a combination of vehicles, may leave its lane as far as needed to approach and drive through a roundabout, with due regard for all other traffic.
Passing, following distance, and keeping to the right are set out in other subdivisions of the section that are not on this page. Whether a particular drift across a line was a violation, and what an officer could do on seeing it, are questions of fact and law for a licensed Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Minn. Stat. 169.18 — Driving rules
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Minnesota attorney.