Amid all of the safety driving posts and ways to tune-up your vehicle, it’s time to put a little fun into the mix. What better way to make change things up by bringing to light some of the weirdest driving laws out there, both domestic and foreign. Would you believe there are laws on the books that regulate how you drive near fast food establishments? Or maybe the one about how lions have the right of way? There are so many, it can be make your head spin in laughter and puzzlement.
Rather than ramble on some more, let’s get right into some of the weirdest driving laws to grace the county records.
1. Missouri – Let’s begin with a city not too far off from my hometown. University City is a suburb that’s located just outside of St. Louis, MO, and it’s here where they have strict rules against honking someone else’s horn. Whether that means passengers riding alongside or if you tried to be a daredevil and get out of your car at a stoplight, run over to the car next to you and honk their horn, it’s frowned upon either way.
2. Ohio – A little place called Youngstown doesn’t appreciate cars that run out of gas. So make sure leave home and arrive at your destination with a full tank.
3. Rhode Island – You’ll get a bunch of disapproving head-turns if, when passing a vehicle, you don’t make an audible signal to the driver. Not too sure if that means you should roll down and scream at the driver next to you or honk your horn, but that would make a case for the noisiest highway. Ever.
4. Kansas – The great city of Topeka isn’t all too happy with drivers who transport deceased poultry across Kansas Avenue. So if you have to cross, make sure you’re a sleuth of a driver or find an alternate route.
5. Iowa – Should you be driving in the city of Indianola, make sure you’re not selling ice cream. They have banned the ice cream man.
6. Georgia – Not quite sure if this gem of an outlaw happens in the city of Dublin or Marietta, but whenever the governing body holds court, any current members are free from being ticketed for speeding. Effectively, that dwindles down the chances of other drivers getting away with speeding.
7. Arkansas – This one’s probably my favorite of them all. In Little Rock, drivers who are hanging around cold-cut establishments after the hours of 9 p.m. are forbidden from honking their horn. So for those customers who are impatient, don’t put your frustration out via the horn because that sandwich will cost a pretty penny if the police are around. In fact, don’t be impatient at all and enjoy your sandwich, no matter the wait time.
8. Minnesota – Minnetonka really values the appearances of any and all cars driving through their city. They respect it so much that they will issue tickets to any car or truck that is dirty, has loads of mud in the wheel wells, looks like it drove through a bag of flour, etc. Car wash companies, rejoice!
Now for a few weird driving laws from foreign countries
9. Cyprus – If you need to get a drink of water or cool off with a soda, make sure the authorities don’t see you driving while doing so because they’ll write you up in a heartbeat.
10. Greece – The police here have a pretty aggressive stance towards parking tickets. Not only will they issue a ticket, but they’ll oftentimes confiscate the entire license plate, which if you think about it, is a good way to get people to pay off their parking tickets should they not want to get pulled over for not having proper licenses.
11. Vienna – They try to keep their city as peaceful and free from loud noises as possible because I’m guessing the sound of cars is too noisy already. That’s why they outright ban any driver from honking as they drive through the heart of the city.
12. Phillipines – If you are riding a scooter throughout the Phillipines, make sure you have proper tennis shoes on. They forbid riding either in sandals or with no shoes whatsoever.
13. South Africa – While this isn’t that weird, per say, because it would make sense to almost any driver, but in South Africa, every animal along the road has the right of way. As it should be. Would you really want to try and rush around a herd of lions? They might take your side mirrors as a souvenir. I just wanted to add this one particularly because it would be interesting to see an assortment of lions, zebras, cattle, elephants and other wild animals owning the road like it’s the Macy’s Day Parade.
And while I could go on for a few states and countries more, the fact is I had a blast researching these laws. It makes you realize for every serious and necessary driving law out there, a weird one will arise. And as much multitasking drivers face already, it lets you know that the best driver is the most astute and defensive one. Be safe on the roadways and enjoy the rest of your summer drives because come September, it’s crisp fall seasons and football.
Author Bio: Kyle O’Brien is a freelance writer covering a range of topics related to the automotive industry from safety driving tips to car maintenance and beyond and has consulted for Jay Wolfe Acura, a local car dealer serving the KC area.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.