Be Aware of Crazy State Driving Laws During Holiday Travel

The holiday season is one of the busier traveling times of the year. While most people will only need to drive across town, there are many who will load up the family and hit the road for hours to get to their destination. For those in that camp, there are some driving laws you might want to familiarize yourself with.

Most of these laws date back to a time when horse drawn wagons were the primary mode of transportation, but new-fangled horseless carriages were starting to emerge as the way of the future. But even as times have changed, and the vehicles we drive everyday became the norm, these laws have remained on the books for whatever reason.

It should be noted, these are legit laws. It should also be noted, the world, and the people who inhabited it 100 years ago, was clearly a different place with different concerns.

Indiana

• Right here in Evansville, it is illegal to drive down Main Street with your headlights on
• It is illegal to pass a horse on the street.
• Backing into a parking spot is illegal because it prevents police officers from seeing your licence plate.

Kentucky

• Not technically a moving violation, but if you find yourself in Fort Thomas, KY with your dog, make sure he or she has been fixed as it is against the law for them to molest vehicles. Can you blame them? Have you seen the curves on the new Mercedes? Va-Va-Voom!

Illinois

• It is illegal to hang “obstructions” form the rear view mirror, including fuzzy dice, air fresheners, GPS units, etc. To be fair, you did graduate from high school 10 years ago, it's probably time to take the tassel down anyway.
• In Freeport, you must move your car back and forth everyday for 4 months out of the year regardless of weather conditions. You don't want uneven pavement do you?
• In Evanston, it is unlawful to change clothes in an automobile with the curtains drawn, except in case of fire — which I would think is the one time you wouldn't want to change clothes in an automobile.

Alabama

• Here's one of those, it's-a-law-because-someone-did-it. In the great state of Alabama, it's illegal to drive blindfolded. So much for the age-old time-killing game, "Eyesies Closey".
• It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile. No lantern? Then I say you're good to go!

California

• If the weight of the holiday stress becomes just too much to bear and you decide to say goodbye to this cruel world, do it somewhere other than Glendale, California where it's illegal to jump from a vehicle at 65 miles per hour.
• It is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.
• Women may not drive in a house coat. Nude it is then!

New Jersey

• State law requires to honk before passing. They don't even have to be in another car! The law also applies to passing a bicyclist, skater, and even a skateboarder.
• Gas up before you cross into the Garden State as it is a crime to pump your own gas.
• Have a DWI in your past? Sorry, you won't be getting that "ILUVSNOOKI" vanity plate anytime soon as you may never again apply for personalized license plates.

For more bizzare state driving laws, visit the Department of Motor Vehicles website.