For your entertainment, a small non-exhaustive list of absurd driving laws:
- In Utah, US, all kinds of birds have the right of way on any highways.
- In China, drivers who stop at pedestrian crossings may receive a fine or a warning under Article 40 of the Beijing Traffic Laws.
- You can’t ride a camel in Nevada, US.
- In Germany, it is illegal to run out of gas on the motorway.
- In California, US, laws make it illegal to jump from a car travelling at 100km/h.
- In Denver, US, you are not allowed to drive a black car on a Sunday.
- In Switzerland, if you forget your car-keys inside the car and you leave the car open, you will be punished.
- In Alabama State, US, you cannot drive barefooted.
- In the UK it is prohibited to drive a car without sitting in the front seat.
- Danish traffic law states, “You may not start a car if anyone is under it”.
- In Massachusetts, US, driving laws forbid taxi drivers to make love in the front seat of their taxi while working.
- In Kentucky, US, you will be fined if your pet molests a vehicle.
- In Thailand, you must wear a shirt while driving a car.
- In Mount Vernon, US, you’re not allowed to shoot arrows or throw bricks onto any street or highway without the City Council’s written consent.
One Comment
The Swiss, German and Danish laws are sensible:
The Swiss law punishes one for being an unintentional accessory to crime. One’s negligence could place an additional burden on law enforcement, unnecessarily.
The German law similarly punishes negligence – running out of fuel could result in one’s vehicle becoming a hazard (a greater one than it already is).
The Danish law was almost certainly drafted in the context of people servicing cars. I can imagine there have been “accidents” where cars were started with mechanics still underneath.
Of course, the real absurdity is that private motorised vehicles are still legal.
They were not contested when they first appeared as luxury items for the wealthy, despite their hazards, because of the influence these individuals had.
So the only really absurd driving law is in fact the one that doesn’t exist.