Even on the Federal Highway System, the Rules of The Road vary from state to state. Here we’ve collected and commented on some of the more arcane and unusual traffic laws you may want to remember if you live in, or travel in the United States. Read up! Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and if you break the law, you may have to take traffic school to dismiss the ticket.
Alabama – It’s illegal to drive a car while blindfolded.
Alaska – No driving with a dog tethered to your car.
Arizona – It’s against the law to drive a car in reverse on a public road.
Arkansas – in Little Rock it’s against the law to honk your car horn anywhere that serves cold drinks or sandwiches after 9 p.m.
California – In Glendale, it’s illegal to jump from a car going over 65 mph.
Colorado – It’s illegal to drive a black car on a Sunday in Denver.
Connecticut – it’s illegal to hunt from a car.
Delaware – “R” rated movies shall not be shown at drive-in theaters.
Florida – It is illegal to skateboard without a license.
Georgia – There’s no driving through playgrounds in Georgia.
Hawaii – It’s against the law for a vehicle in motion to use its hazard lights. People might think it’s a Luau.
Idaho – it’s forbidden for Senior Citizens over the age of 88 must lose all sense of balance, them to ride a motorcycle in Idaho Falls.
Illinois – It’s illegal to drive a car without a steering wheel. And, of course, impossible.
Indiana – It’s against the law to sell cars on Sundays. Try Maine.
Iowa – No vehicle may sell ice cream in Indianola, Iowa.
Kansas – No tire screeching in Derby, Kansas.
Kentucky – It’s illegal for your pet to molest a vehicle in Fort Thomas.
Louisiana – A woman’s husband is required by law to walk in front of the car waving a flag as she drives it.
Maine – It’s illegal to buy a car on a Sunday. Better move to Indiana.
Maryland – It’s a misdemeanor to swear from a vehicle while driving through Rockville.
Massachusetts – You cannot drive with a gorilla in your backseat. In the front seat is okay with the seat belt buckled.
Michigan – It’s against the law to sit in the middle of the street and read a newspaper. But in Detroit you may lie there and be covered by one.
Minnesota – You can be charged as a public nuisance if your truck leaves mud, dirt or sticky substances on the road in Minnetonka.
Mississippi – In Oxford, it’s illegal to honk your horn, even though it is an additional means of communication included in the price of your car.
Missouri – You can’t honk someone else’s car horn in University City, Missouri.
Montana – You can’t drive a herd of livestock numbering more than 10 on an interstate highway unless the herd is preceded and followed by flagmen.
Nebraska – By law, drivers on mountains should drive with caution near the right edge of the highway. Surprisingly, Bighorn Mountain rises to 4,731 feet.
Nevada – Even though it’s the desert, t’s illegal to ride a camel on the highway.
New Hampshire – It’s against the law to inhale bus fumes with the intent of inducing euphoria. If you want to kill yourself, that’s covered under a different law.
New Jersey – If you have been convicted of DUI, you can never apply for personalized license plates.
New Mexico – It may or may not be kidnapping, but it is illegal for cab drivers to reach out and pull potential customers into their taxis.
New York – It’s against the law to disrobe in your car in the beach town of Sag Harbor, Long Island.
North Carolina – In Dunn, North Carolina it’s illegal to play in traffic.
North Dakota – it’s illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
Ohio – It’s illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown.
Oklahoma –Cars must be tethered outside of public buildings. No guidance on to what.
Oregon – It is illegal to place a container filled with human fecal matter on the side of any highway. No containers!
Pennsylvania –Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass.
Rhode Island – One must make a loud noise before passing a car on the left. Preferably with your vehicle’s horn.
South Carolina – When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft. from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.
South Dakota – No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
Tennessee – It’s illegal to shoot game from a moving vehicle. But hitting it with your car is legal, and can be delicious.
Texas – You must have windshield wipers to register a car.
Utah – By law, birds have the right of way on all highways. Luckily, they don’t usually exercise it.
Vermont – It’s illegal for cars to backfire in Rutland.
Virginia – Radar detectors are illegal.
Washington – A motorist with criminal intentions must stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.
West Virginia – It’s legal to eat road kill. No info on whether you can shoot it from your car.
Wisconsin – One may not camp in a wagon on any public highway.
Wyoming – If you open a gate over a road, river, stream or ditch, you’d must close it behind you.
You can add
Phenix City, Alabama, to the list of communities which have turned to technology for help in making dangerous intersections safer. The community leaders have decided on a plan which would put automated traffic cameras at intersections around the community. Although the exact locations have yet to be determined it seems likely they will definitely be placed somewhere on a stretch of U.S. Highway 280 that runs from Home Depot in Phenix City to the Highway 431 Bypass because these areas are known to be hazardous for drivers.
According to published reports, Arizona-based road technology safety company, Redflex Traffic Systems, will install and maintain the signal cameras. The new automated system will monitor traffic using radar and alert authorities when a vehicle has been identified as having run the red light.
The systems works when a vehicle enters the intersection after the traffic light turns red. The automated camera will snap high-resolution images on the vehicle and the driver. These images will then be sent to police who will carefully review the images before issuing citations. The cost of a fine for running a red light in Alabama is now $100. Phenix City will collect the fine and pay a portion of the revenue they collect to Redflex Traffic Systems. In this way the city plans that the new automated traffic camera system will not require the use any public funds to operate.
These automated traffic monitoring systems are proving cost effective for communities which use them. Nearly every community which has installed them has seen revenue increase as a result of the system. They also require fewer police labor hours used just for monitoring traffic, meaning those officers can be working to make the community safe in other ways.
These automated system are being constantly improved and their sensitivity and ability to produce high-resolution images increased. As the systems improve it seems likely more communities will embrace the new technology as a way to increase revenue and save money.
There are more than a few people in Alabama who feel vehicle inspections would increase driver safety by ensuring the vehicles they were operating on Alabama state roads were up to snuff. A recent unscientific poll showed that a full 80 percent of respondents felt vehicle inspections were crucial.
Nearly all the callers to a recent Driving Miss Crazy Live Chat said they overwhelmingly supported vehicle inspections, but they represent a small voice in the growing debate.
Alabama legislators have been considering instituting a new state law requiring vehicle inspections although the specifics have yet to be clarified. Some states currently require annual vehicles inspections, while others require less frequent vehicle safety inspections. There are also differences in what is inspected, whether it is safety concerns, emissions or something else. A few the state of New Jersey has even rolled back its required stipulations concerning vehicle inspections citing costs and problems associated with managing the system.
Proponents of a state mandated vehicle inspection system in Alabama say they would increase safety, but opponents say the system would simply be a way for the state to generate more revenue and cost drivers money on top of what they are already spending on fuel and insurance. There are more forceful opponents of the state vehicle inspection program: AAA.
Officials with AAA cite numerous problems with administrating the system. They cite cost overruns, poor testing and an inability to determine whether or not the system is even working when it comes to increasing highway safety.
As the debate in Alabama rages on legislators will be left to decide whether or not the program would work in their state and if so, how. They must also find a way to convince what appears to be a decidedly unfriendly populace that having state required inspections would indeed make the roads safer for everyone and not just be a new way to make money.
defensive driving, traffic school, my improv, alabama
An Alabama college student is lucky to be alive after driving his vehicle off a cliff while trying to send a text message. Just moments before driving off a cliff in Alabama, Chance Bothe texted “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.” Soon after he lost control of his vehicle and plunged into a ravine at the side of the road.
As a result of his crash Bothe suffered a variety of injuries including a broken neck, a crushed face, a fractured skull, and traumatic brain injuries. He died three times during emergency procedures and doctors brought him back to life each time. After six months in a near comatose state he is finally able to speak and talk about his accident.
Among the first things he said was a warning to others that distracted driving can kill you.
“They just need to understand, don’t do it. Don’t do it. It’s not worth losing your life,” he said. “I went to my grandmother’s funeral not long ago, and I kept thinking, it kept jumping into my head, I’m surprised that’s not me up in that casket. I came very close to that, to being gone forever.”
This month Alabama instituted a new law making it illegal to text and drive. Violators will receive a citation with a $25 fine attached. Which is better off than being dead.
Starting on August 1, Alabama will ban texting while driving. That means if you have an urge to send a text while driving in Alabama now is the time to get it done (which is probably the stupidest idea ever.)
State statistics show that more than 1200 vehicle collisions were caused by distracted driving in Alabama since 2010 and the numbers have been getting worse. The new legislation is an attempt to reverse that trend and start pushing the numbers in the other direction. The move makes Alabama the 38th state to enact some sort of ban on distracted driving by limiting what type of electronic devices can be used.
A recent story by the associated Press states that on August 1, “texting, emailing and instant messaging while driving will become illegal in Alabama, with violators facing fines and possibly higher insurance rates.”
Distracted driving is now the leading cause of fatal traffic collisions, eclipsing even deaths caused by drunk drivers. Legislators in almost every state have either already passed laws limiting the use of handheld devices by drivers or are working on legislation right now. The end result is meant to justify the efforts being put forth to end distracted driving, but not everyone feels the effort should be limited to handheld devices.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration one of the biggest distractions for drivers are passengers. Drivers are more likely to pay attention to the person they are talking to in the car than the road ahead, leading to an increased likelihood of having a crash. There are some who point out that distractions such as adjusting the radio or even lighting a cigarette are worse than talking on a cell phone. In fact, the state of Illinois recently attempted to pass a law requiring drivers lock animals in a safety cage while driving, preventing them from roaming free in the vehicle while it is in motion. This effort failed to garner enough support, but as interest in distracted driving grows it seems likely every effort will be made to stop it.
Include
Alabama in the list of states which now have bans on texting while driving, bringing the total number of states with such bans to 38.
The Alabama law was spurred to creation after the Alabama Public Safety Department of Public Safety released a report which showed that in the past 18 months more than 1,200 people were killed on Alabama roads in traffic crashes caused by someone who was texting and driving.
The new law received overwhelming support in both state houses and was eagerly signed into law by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley who was quoted as saying, “Signing this bill sends a message that drivers need to focus on driving, not sending a text. There is nothing so urgent that it is worth risking your life, or that of others, by sending a text while operating a vehicle.”
Unlike some state laws which do little to punish drivers who text behind the wheel the new law in Alabama bars driver’s from using a wireless device to read, write or send a text message, as well as instant message, or email while driving. First time offenders will have to pay a $25 fine, second offenders $50 and third or subsequent offenses will cost the driver $75. Also, two penalty points would be added to offenders’ driving licenses for each violation.
There is clearly a growing trend in state legislatures to do something to halt the gradual increase in traffic related crashes caused not only by texting and driving, but by the use of smartphones in general. These ubiquitous devices make it easy for someone to become distracted when they are walking down the sidewalk, much less behind the wheel of a 3,000 pound automobile, cruising along at 55 miles per hour. Without adequate controls to deter the use of these devices some drivers will risk their life, the life of anyone riding with them and the lives of everyone on the road with them, just to check their spam folder.
A new initiative is focused squarely on
teen drivers in Alabama, most at risk of having a fatal collision. In fact, Alabama has the second highest rate of teen traffic fatalities in the nation, although it has far fewer teen drivers than states like New York, California, Florida and Texas.
This frightening statistic has Alabama lawmakers and police taking a long, hard look at teen driving in their state. They are looking at ways to better enforce existing laws, and creating a public awareness campaign aimed at teaching teen drivers they face increased risk behind the wheel.
The Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians is teaming up with Allstate Insurance to offer a $25,000 to provide pediatricians that includes tools and resources to discuss safe driving habits with their teenage patients. This is meant as a direct assault on the dangers of teenage drivers, but it is not the only way to address the problem. As a result of this grant, the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians has teamed with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama Safe Kids and Children’s of Alabama pediatric hospital to get their message across to teen drivers. The Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics was one of eight groups in the country to receive a safe driving grant from the Allstate Foundation.
Alabama already has a graduated driver license program for teen drivers. It also has been increasing focus on distracted driving, seat belt usage among teen drivers and the use of drugs and alcohol by teenagers. All of these things combine to increase the risk for teenagers when they take to the road.
Defensive driving is a crucial skill that every driver, regardless of experience, needs before they take to the roads. The fact that teen drivers are hitting the roads without it is likely what is causing an update in their number of traffic fatalities.
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