Most of them are strange to consider in this day and age (although they may have made sense at one time). But all are still on the books.
It seems like every state has its share of strange and unusual traffic laws that never quite got changed, updated, or removed. They’re not really enforced, but they sure are entertaining to read.
Take a stroll down memory lane with these incredibly strange traffic laws that are still around all over the US.
Who Would’ve Guessed…
- In Idaho Falls, Idaho, it’s illegal for anyone over the age of 88 to drive or ride on a motorcycle. It’s ok to forego the helmet at any age, but once you turn 88 – those fun and freewheeling days are over.
- For some strange reason, women can’t drive around in their bathrobes in California! We’re not quite sure why they’d want to in the first place, but okay.
- Don’t use curse words while driving in Rockville, Maryland—the rule was intended to ensure that everyone has the right to live unencumbered by foul language if someone has their window down and lets loose a string of profanities.
- No buying cars on Sunday in Michigan, Colorado and twelve other states. In fact, when Colorado voters tried to overturn the law, it was the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association that lobbied to NOT change the law…they like having Sundays off to relax and spend time with the family.
- And along those same lines… in Texas, there’s no law that says car dealerships can’t be open on Sunday. But there is a law that says they can only be open on either Saturday OR Sunday, but not both! We can’t imagine what the thought process was there!
Wait, There’s More…
- In Oxford, Mississippi, it’s still against the law to honk your horn within city limits. Originally, people were concerned that it might scare the horses. We wonder what they are concerned about now.
- It’s illegal for fire trucks to go over 25 miles per hour within the city limits of New Britain, Connecticut —even on their way to a fire in progress! Luckily, this is one law that we’re sure gets ignored.
- In Arkansas, it’s illegal to honking after 9:00 pm. We guess it’s just too much for the horses(?).
- Unless you want a ticket, there are no changing clothes in your auto in Sag Harbor, New York. This is a law that was enacted to put a lid on the teenagers making out in their cars. Maybe a better idea, would be to send their parents out to find them?
- They don’t want you “casing the joint”. Don’t drive through the same traffic point more than three times in three hours in Westminster, Colorado or you risk getting a ticket. Again, we’re not sure who’s keeping track…
- No camels on the highway in Nevada. Yes, you heard that right! The U.S. Army Camel Corps in the 1800’s used camels to move materials across the western United States. Soon cars and trains were all the rage and the camels fell out of favor. But what to do with all the camels? They were sold to mining and freight companies or released into the wild where they roamed for years throughout Nevada and Arizona. A law was passed by the Nevada state legislature in 1875 banning the use of camels on state roads and it’s still on the books today.
- If you are ever visiting Minnetonka, Minnesota, be sure to keep your car clean. Dirty, mud-caked tires are considered a nuisance. Believe it or not, forgetting to wash your dirty car might actually get you a ticket.
- Be careful in neat and tidy Hilton Head, South Carolina. It’s against the law to have trash in your car.
- As a street racing deterrent, the state of Kansas has laws preventing wheel spinning and tire squealing.
- In New Jersey, you can’t order a personalized license plate if you have received a DUI in the last 10 years. It’s right there on the application—DUI = no fancy plates!
- If you’re riding your bike in Wisconsin, be sure to keep at least one hand on the handlebars…riding with no hands is a ticket-able offense!
- And our last one… in Nebraska, when driving in the mountains, you’re required to exercise caution when near the right side of the highway. There’s only one problem—there are no mountains in Nebraska.
Well, now you know about some of the strange and crazy traffic laws that are still on the books in the US. Keep your driving record clean by avoiding some of these weird laws.
If you are facing problems with tickets or citations due to crazy laws here in El Paso, contact us and let’s see if we can help!
