Little known driving laws in popular states

Traffic laws–simple, right? If you drive then you should (we hope!) be pretty familiar with them. And most are common sense. Wear a seatbelt—don’t speed—stop at red lights—sing with the windows up…

But every state has its own variations on the classics. And these can range from need-to-know-before-you-go to downright weird. Strap in! Let’s take a wild ride through the law books.

california

Speeding is apparently a fact of life in California, which has led to some adjustments to the state traffic laws. In Cali, as long as you’re driving as fast as 85% of the vehicles around you, it is considered a safe speed. But before you go thinking everything is way-chill out West, the state has some uniquely strange stipulations too. For example, it’s illegal for women to hit the road in a bathrobe.

oregon

Stop doesn’t always mean stop in Oregon. If the intersection is clear, then it’s legal to take a right turn. So the stop sign can be treated more like a yield sign. Visitors, take note!

new jersey

Jersey Girls Don’t Pump Gas. Here’s why: it’s illegal. New Jersey is the only state that requires an attendant to fill up the vehicles of all customers—it’s a law that’s been in place for 73 proud years. And if you want some extra motivation to stay out of trouble on the road in the Garden State here you go: without a 10 year clean license, you’ll be refused an application for a vanity license plate.

minnesota

If you like to take your truck off-road, chances are you’re used to picking up some mud on the tracks. In Minnesota, there’s no excuse to let that muck build up. Driving with dirt-clogged tires and leaving mud on the roads is considered a public nuisance.

rhode island

No one likes a driver who is trigger-happy with the horn. But in Rhode Island it’s your responsibility to make some noise. Drivers are required to honk when they overtake another vehicle. If you fail to do so, you could face a fine. It’s also illegal to test the speed of your horse on the road (and before you say anything—some folks already think it's time both these laws were updated).

nevada

While Rhode Island keeps a check on locals speeding their horses, in Nevada there’s a total ban on riding camels on the highway. This old law dates back to the 1800s when, actually, a lot of people got around by camel, and apparently it remains on the law books today.

You probably don’t get around by camel, but if you want to stick to the rules of the road it’s worth checking how each state handles driving laws before visiting. It’s pretty surprising how much driving laws can vary. Just like car values—they can go up and down like a rollercoaster. To find out how much your car is worth (and what people are getting paid for cars in your state), check out Peddle. We’ll give you a quote in minutes.