Many laws, especially laws related to driving and driver safety, are so broadly defined or so rarely enforced, that even the most experienced drivers may not be aware that they’re breaking them. State-to-state, the laws regarding handheld cell phone use, honking your horn, and sleeping in your car for example, are different, leaving cross-country travelers at the mercy of the highway patrol and vaguely worded laws that date back to the 1950s. With that in mind, here are five driver laws you probably don’t know you’re breaking. For more information, check out the website of the Governors Highway Safety Association.
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Playing music too loud:
We’re not sure why your neighborhood ice cream truck can get away with it, but chances are good that your city has laws that prohibit drivers from playing music at an excessive volume. Extra stereo equipment in a car such as a subwoofer can boost sound frequencies to a point where they’re audible a block or two away. If when standing outside of your car with the doors shut and windows rolled up you can still hear whatever music you’ve got cranked on the car stereo, then rest assured, it’s too friggin’ loud, and you’re risking getting a ticket.
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Honking your horn:
This is a tricky one. The laws regarding car horn use state-to-state all basically say the same thing, don’t use your car horn unless it’s necessary as a warning to insure the safe operation of your car. Which means that if, as you’re pulling out of the driveway of a friend’s house where you’ve just enjoyed a nice meal, you give them a friendly goodbye beep, technically speaking, you are breaking the law. Probably the most helpful thing to remember here is to not use your horn as a tool for expressing your anger. Which leads us to the subject of…
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Road rage:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, describes aggressive driving, which can include speeding, improper lane changing and passing, and failing to signal, as a traffic offense. Road rage on the other hand is a criminal offense and is defined as “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.” Generally speaking, road rage cases are prosecuted as assault and battery either with or without a vehicle. However, verbal abuse is considered to be a form of road rage, so if you are prone to roll down your window and lean your head out so you can scream obscenities at another driver, don’t be surprised when you are eventually ticketed or worse by the police.
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Sleeping in your car:
Is it illegal to sleep in your car? In many states, yes, although it is usually okay for you to sleep in your car in an area designated for sleepy travelers. You definitely don’t want to park somewhere in suburbia in order to take a quick snooze. And if you’re driving cross country and need to take a nap, it’s advisable that you stop at the nearest motel or rest stop instead of pulling over to the shoulder and zonking out.
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Cell phone and texting:
Amazingly, despite the fact that cell phone use continues to cause traffic-related accidents and deaths, no state in the U.S. has banned cell phone use for all drivers, although an exception is made in many states for “novice” and school bus drivers. Handheld cell phone use is prohibited in 10 states, D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Thirty-nine states, along with D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands, have banned text messaging for all drivers. New laws continue to be proposed and passed as the dangers of distracted driving become more apparent, so be aware of your state’s highway laws.
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