A new law went into effect August 1 that allows flaggers to report work-zone traffic violators. If drivers ignore a construction zone flagger, they could be ticketed for a work-zone violation whether state troopers are there or not.
According to the revised Minnesota statute, “a citation may be issued even though the violation did not occur in the officer’s presence.” To do so, a qualified work-zone flagger must provide a report of the violation within four hours of the incident. The report must include a description and the license plate number of the vehicle and the time of the incident.
To be qualified for reporting, a work-zone flagger must have completed training that includes information on flagging operations, equipment, traffic laws, observation and accurate identification of motor vehicles, and delegation of duties involving a report.
