Dear Trooper Kathy: What are the laws regarding farm machinery being driven on the highways at night? Last week at 9:45 p.m., I almost rear-ended a tractor on the highway. There were no lights on except a headlight! Don’t they require lights? Trooper Kathy says: Yes they need lights. Here is what the law says: Minnesota State Statute 169.48 requires that every vehicle upon a street or highway is required to have the proper lighting at any time between sunset to sunrise. Lights are also required any time it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing. In addition, lights are required any time visibility is impaired by weather, smoke, fog or any other condition, or there is not sufficient light to clearly see persons or vehicles at a distance of 500 feet. To specifically address your question, Minnesota State Statute 169.55, Subdivision 2 spells out the lighting requirements for an implement of husbandry (farm machinery) on our streets and highways. This statute requires: 1. Every self-propelled implement of husbandry must be equipped with at least one lamp displaying a white light to the front, and at least one lamp displaying a red light to the rear. 2. Every self-propelled implement of husbandry must also display two red reflectors visible to the rear. 3. Every combination of a self-propelled and towed implement of husbandry must be equipped with at least one lamp mounted to indicate the extreme left projection of the combination, and display a white or amber light to the front and a red or amber light to the rear of the self-propelled implement of husbandry. 4. The last unit of every combination of an implement of husbandry must display two approved red reflectors visible to the rear. The reflectors must be approved for use on commercial vehicles and be mounted to the extreme edges of the implement of husbandry. If the last unit of the combination obscures the visibility of either the lights or slow moving vehicle sign of the tractor, then the last unit must also be equipped with the proper lighting and slow moving vehicle sign so as to be visible from the rear. Minnesota State Statute 169.55 subdivision 3 requires that the amber flashing hazard lights be displayed at all times on self-propelled implements of husbandry (manufactured after January 1, 1970) when operated on our streets and highways. The hazard lights must be visible to the front and rear in normal sunlight.
