We’ve all broken some laws here and there. Maybe you pirated some music, drove a little faster than you should, or jaywalked across an empty street. But did you know you might be breaking the law by not having your headlights on?
That’s right, we’re about to save you the hassle of getting pulled over, getting a ticket, and going to traffic court by letting you know some really weird laws you’re probably breaking all the time.
Land of the Lost – Don’t Drive By
Now, some of these may seem like common sense, but others are going to make you wonder what kind of weird things happened to make this law necessary, like this law from the Centennial State, Colorado, that makes it basically illegal to be a tourist.
The town of Westminster, Colorado, near Denver, will make you think twice about getting lost. That’s right, it is illegal to get lost. You’d better get your Google Maps game on point because Westminster police have a law that says you can’t drive past the same place three times in a three-hour period.
Now, as silly as that sounds, this law is only in effect in the middle of the night and is obviously aimed at stopping shady business after midnight. You know, like street racing and takeovers. Whatever the reason, get lost in the town and you could be pulled over too, so it’s best to keep your map app up to date.
Next up: do you love the First Amendment? The freedom to say whatever you want? Like, say, telling off that guy who ran the red light or shouting your favorite four-letter word when you miss an exit? Well, be wise with your words in the sleepy town of Rockville, Maine because colorful language can land you a hefty fine.
Keep It Clean – Watch Your Mouth
Yeah, there’s a law against swearing. And this law doesn’t just apply only to the road, it’s anywhere you’re in earshot of another person. Driving down the road and someone cuts you off? Well, letting them know how you feel would get you a ticket.
My suggestion? Come up with some creative ways to swear without swearing. For example, if someone runs that four-way stop in front of you, hit them with this: “Hey! Ford you, you driving piece of shift!” Or you could show them how you feel by flipping them the bird. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a law against fingers there… yet.
Okay, okay, that got a little bit dark there. Let’s head towards the light, the headlights, and take a little trip up to Sweden where headlights are a hot commodity.
Let There Be Light – Always On
The Swedish are very particular about being able to see other cars on the road. In Sweden, you must have your headlights on anytime you drive. I mean 24 hours a day no matter how bright the sun is. They even go so far as to lock the headlights in the “on” position in rental cars so tourists don’t get fined for something they’re not used to doing. With the number of people I see running around in modern cars with their lights off at night, maybe we need that law here in the United States!
This law does make some sense since parts of Sweden are so far north they go months with or without sunlight. But the Swedes aren’t the only ones who are particular about headlights.
Colored Lights – Mellow That Yellow
Of course, the Germans would have laws about everything including headlights. It’s a country notoriously hard to get a license and drive in. If you’re lucky enough to get that license, you’d better keep your headlights clear and white because they banned yellow headlights! Sorry, French drivers.
Why would they ban something that looks so dang cool? Yellow lights blind less, right? I wish Germany would also ban those blinding blue LEDs people put in their beaters. Thankfully, they did help those of us that drive low-slung sports cars by making it illegal to drive with high beams on for long periods at night. It’s also totally illegal to blast your high beams in cities! Again, we really need this law here in the states. That old lady driving with her brights on is a danger to everyone!
Now, next up let’s head to Southeast Asia where even though it’s hot and muggy out, you’ve got to keep your clothes on.
Keep Your Clothes On – No Shirt, No Drive
That’s right, in Thailand, it’s against the law to drive or even ride a bike with no shirt on. My guess is that this is probably just to preserve some form of public decency. with the most common religion in Thailand being Buddhism, a religion that preaches modesty, it would make sense that no one wants to see you blasting your nips on the highway.
Luckily, the major tourist areas don’t really enforce these laws, as they know we’re just there to enjoy the country and catch some sun. But you might want to cover up to be considerate to everyone around you anyway.
Speaking of being decent, what if you need to run to Taco Bell late at night and don’t want to change out of your comfy clothes? You might want to reconsider doing that if you’re in the sunny state of California.
Dress Code Violation – Disrobed
Now, let’s be real clear here, this silly rule states that it’s against the law for women to drive in a housecoat, otherwise known as a robe. Why would they specifically target women for this law? For such a progressive state, this is a pretty sexist law since it seems like men can wear robes and drive all they want. Luckily, the law doesn’t say anything about yoga pants or pajamas, so you can still safely shop at Walmart after a workout.
Not too much is known as to why this law was written, but public indecency was likely the culprit. It also totally sounds like something from the 1950s. I mean, who calls a robe a housecoat anymore?
That’s not all you’ve got to be careful of in Cali, you might also want to reconsider jumping out of a moving car, not just because it’ll likely kill you, but also because if you live, you might get a big ticket.
Stay in the Car – Don’t Jump
The town of Glendale, California has a law that states you can not jump out of a moving vehicle at speed 65 miles per hour or greater. Does this mean I can jump out while going 64 miles per hour? I wonder what speed I could jump out and not get hurt?
This law is strange until you find out that Glendale is a 10-mile drive from Hollywood. That’s well within the TMZ, or 30-mile zone, which was designated an area for movie studios to film around Los Angeles. Obviously, while this law is aimed at stunt sequences either to keep the town or the stunt people safe, it applies to everyone. Though, even if I were a trained stunt person, I don’t think I’d want to be jumping out of a moving car.
Of course, we here at Ideal Media do not suggest trying to jump out of your vehicle. We also suggest not pissing off sleeping people, especially if you’re in Arkansas.
Alive with the Sound of Cars – Night Honkers
In Arkansas, they have a law against honking after 9 pm, specifically at places that sell cold drinks or sandwiches. They must have a real problem with Uber drivers outside bars and late-night Subway binging. Not only would the driver have to deal with the aftermath of driving around a bunch of drunk locals, but also get a ticket for honking at them to hurry up.
What a bad night that would be, but worse would also be getting ticketed for running out of fuel.
Range Anxiety – Running on Empty
In the town of Youngstown, Ohio, it’s illegal to run out of fuel. So, not only are you broken down on the side of the road, but now you’ve received a misdemeanor ticket. I guess I won’t be doing any project car shakedowns there. Who ever has their fuel gauge working on the first shakedown run?
When they write you up, do they also bring you a can of fuel? Or is the walk to the gas station their version of a walk of shame? Does everyone in town hoot and holler at you as you walk down the side of the road because you ran out of gas?
Ohio isn’t the only state making sure you have driving necessities to be on the road.
Jesus Take The Wheel – Literally
Statewide in Illinois, it’s illegal to drive without a steering wheel. I mean, this makes complete and utter sense to me, but then again the rest of the world exists. How might one drive without a steering wheel?Well, you could do some handy vice grip and duct tape work, or just tow your car.
Illinois could also be trying to curb the trend of taking off your wheel while driving and holding it off to the side. Jalopnik did an article on this a few years back and thankfully it doesn’t seem to have become a trend.
Thankfully, driving around without being able to see is also a trend that has not caught on.
Monkey Can’t See – Monkey Can’t Drive
In Alabama, you’re not allowed to drive while blindfolded. Yes, blindfolded. You would think people wouldn’t try to drive blindfolded, but you only have to look at the other people stuck in traffic to realize something happened to require this to be a law.
That would make one hell of a street race though! Beat that, Duct Tape Deathmatch! But actually, please don’t drive blindfolded. And while you’re at it, don’t touch my horn.
Hands Off – Honking Horns
In the state of Missouri, it’s illegal to honk another person’s horn. I know honking is a great way to let other motorists know to get out of the way or that a light changed. But, if you honk while driving a friend’s car or reach across from the passenger seat, you could face the long arm of the law and have to pay a hefty ticket or even find yourself behind bars just for honking your horn. Wait, I mean their horn!
Would they ticket a sheep if it tooted someone else’s horn?
Sheer Consequences – Sheep-erone
In Montana, there are about 11 sheep for every 5,000 people, so there is a long list of laws that apply to our four-legged friends. It’s illegal to carry sheep in the cab of your truck. Seems reasonable, right? But it becomes legal once you have a chaperone. A chaperone? What dictates a chaperone? The world may never know, but definitely have one in the state of Montana if you’re transporting sheep in the cab of your truck.
Speaking of four-legged friends…
Ride or Drive – Camels
If you’re like me, you probably have a fascination with camels, so much so that you want to drive them out on the road. Well, sadly, in the state of Nevada, that’s illegal. Driving your camel on the road is a big no-no, but riding your camel on the road might just be a solid loophole.
While there may just be a few camels in the entire state, it must’ve been a big enough problem for them to introduce a law against it. Camel riders, don’t drive your camels on the streets of Nevada. Don’t do it!
Intentions – Call The Police
Our last law comes thanks to the beautiful state I live in, Washington! And in our state, it’s mandatory for a driver with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police before entering the town.
Now, imagine that you’re going out on a drive. You might break the speed limit, but you might not. If you do, I’d advise you to track where you’re going and get dialing. Call the chief of police, and it might just save your bacon. If you’re a constant speeder, you might want to add your police chief on speed dial.
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