By Mary Fetzer
Driver’s education classes teach the importance of red
stop signs and double yellow lines. But over the decades since the car became
America’s main mode of transportation, a great many traffic laws have made
their way onto the books, far more than you’ll ever learn in a classroom.
For instance, do you know how many feet from a passing
train you must stop your car? Are you transporting anything in your vehicle
that would require you to come to a complete stop at every
railroad crossing? Or how about tinted windows? State laws are quite specific on the matter. Some allow it, others
require proof from a doctor that it’s medically required, and others prohibit
it altogether.
Most traffic laws make sense—they are,
after all, designed with safety in mind. But some driving rules are just truly
bizarre. Such as:
Keep it clean
In Minnetonka, Minnesota, driving a vehicle with dirty
tires is a “nuisance that affects public peace, safety, and general welfare.”
Lay off the horn
In Arkansas, it’s illegal to honk after 9:00 PM
wherever cold drinks or sandwiches are served. And in University City,
Missouri, honking someone else’s horn is breaking the law.
Be kind to
animals
Do not tether your dog to the roof when driving in
Alaska. Do not beep at cows in Oxford, Mississippi. Do not ride camels on the
highway in Nevada. Do not drive with a sheep in your truck in Montana (unless
you have a chaperone). And, when in Massachusetts, do not drive with a gorilla
in the back seat. (Turning the tables: it’s illegal for a pet to molest a
vehicle in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.)
Cars are for
driving only
In Delaware and parts of New York, it’s illegal to
disrobe while driving. And Oklahoma made it illegal to read a comic book while
behind the wheel.
Beware the unopened container
law
Transporting a six-pack to your home in Scituate,
Rhode Island, is a major feat because driving with a beer in your vehicle—even
an unopened one—is against the law.
In Oregon, it’s
easier to take the bus
Only in Oregon can you be ticketed for leaving your car
door open too long. Using your car to prove your physical endurance is a Class
A traffic violation! Drivers must yield to pedestrians when driving on
the sidewalk. Most importantly, drivers may not carry a child on the
“hood, fender, running board, or other external part of any motor
vehicle”—unless it’s for a parade or the minor is strapped down like a piece of
lumber.
California’s not
much better
In Eureka, you may not use the highway as a bed. In
Chico, it’s illegal to plant rutabagas on roadways. Glendale motorists are
prohibited from jumping from a car traveling at 65 mph. Hermosa Beach declares
it unlawful to spill salt on the road. And statewide, women may not drive while
wearing a housecoat.
Meanwhile, in New
Jersey…
New Jersey drivers convicted of DUI are not permitted
to have vanity plates. And most New Jersey drivers ignore the law that says
they must honk before passing.
Bite your
tongue!
Rockville, Maryland, will not tolerate obscenities
yelled from a vehicle. When driving in Georgia, you may spit from a truck but
don’t even think about doing it from a car or bus.
Be careful with
cargo
In Hilton Head, South Carolina, it’s illegal to store
trash in your vehicle. Topeka, Kansas, has laws preventing the transport of
dead poultry.
No shooting
while driving
Hunting from cars is illegal in Connecticut.
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, it’s against the law to shoot any game other
than whales from a moving vehicle.
Sunday drivers
On Sundays, you may not sell a car in Indiana nor buy
one in Maine. And in Denver, Colorado, it’s illegal to drive a black car on a
Sunday!
Keep to the
road, please
Children in Dublin, Georgia, are safer now that it’s
illegal to drive through a playground. North Carolina is covering all bases
with its laws preventing driving on sidewalks, driving through cemeteries, and
playing in traffic.
Plan ahead
It’s illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown, Ohio.
Watch where
you’re going
Fortunately for everybody in the
state of Alabama, it’s illegal to drive while blindfolded.
The bottom line
Just because you haven’t heard of a law doesn’t mean
you can’t get a ticket for breaking it. Take time to study the traffic laws
in your state and be the best driver you can be.
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