Wyoming saturation aims to drive home point

Passing on the right is main target of police detail

Cliff Buchan
News Editor, Forest Lake Times

It happens all to often at Highway 61 and 250th Street in Wyoming. A car is slowing to turn left on US-61 when a following vehicle will navigate to the right-turn lane and pass the vehicle that is turning left.

Wyoming Police Department Sgt. Scott Dexter watches traffic on US-61 from 250th St. A police detail on March 30 resulted in 32 tickets for illegal passing on the right at this troublesome intersection. Below, Dexter walks from his police car to a pickup truck to have a chat with the driver who was stopped for passing on the right. A ticket was issued. (Photo by Cliff Buchan)

It’s all illegal, of course, and a common irritant to residents of the city and Wyoming Police Department officers who field the complaints from the public.

But maybe — just maybe — after a police patrol saturation on Wednesday, March 30 along US-61, motorists will start to understand the rule of the road better.

By the time the day-long detail had ended last week, Wyoming officers working extra shifts with the assistance of the Minnesota State Patrol troopers, had issued 32 tickets to motorists for passing on the right.

“It’s such a common occurrence,” said Sgt. Scott Dexter as he sat in his police car on 250th Street, observing the intersection. As part of the detail, police used an unmarked squad car which observed routine and legal driving habits on US-61 as it attempted to make left turns, both east and west from the state highway.

Dexter said Wyoming officers routinely patrol the area of 250th and Highway 61, but offenders are not hard to find. Take the 32 pinched last week.

A conviction will result in a $130 fine, Dexter said.

“People are in a hurry,” Dexter said of why some motorists may be oblivious to the situation and the rules of the road.

Passing on the right in a turn lane is prohibited. Passing on the right is legal in areas where a passing lane is provided and marked with white broken stripes.

Turn lanes have solid white lines that are not broken.

Passing on the right can be dangerous, Dexter said. A motorist passing a stopped vehicle on the right may not see oncoming traffic that is also turning left.

There have been other instances where pedestrians have been endangered, Dexter said.

And there have been a number of crashes at the intersection. On March 16, five vehicles were involved in a crash at 250th and US-61. One of the drivers hurt in the crash was Wyoming City Administrator Craig Mattson.

In all, 51 tickets were issued during the saturation last week that included some  patrol on US-8. Officers issued eight speeding tickets, five tickets for seat belt violations and six other miscellaneous tickets. Three warnings were issued.

Dexter implored the driving public to obey of the rules of the road, slow down for turning traffic and remember that enforcement efforts have not come to an end.