The United States has no shortage of strange driving laws, but it also has no shortage of strange driving laws that someone simply made up. Over the years, supposed prohibitions involving gorillas, bathrobes, blindfolds and elephants have been copied from one website to another until they became accepted as fact. A review of current state statutes and municipal codes shows that some widely circulated claims are exaggerated or completely false. Fortunately, lawmakers have given us enough genuinely peculiar regulations that there is no need to invent any.
No Honking For A Sandwich: Little Rock, Arkansas
This one is real. Section 18-54 of the Little Rock Code of Ordinances states that no person may sound a vehicle horn at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m. The ordinance appears to have originated during the drive-in restaurant era, when customers sometimes honked for service. Whatever its history, the rule remains remarkably specific. Honking for a steak apparently is a legal gray area, but the minute somebody puts that steak between two slices of bread, keep your hands off the horn.
Bring Enough Gas: Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown really does have an ordinance requiring drivers to carry enough fuel—but the rule is more limited than many internet accounts suggest. Ordinance 331.44 says a vehicle may not be operated within a defined congested downtown district without sufficient fuel to drive out of that district. In other words, running dry anywhere in Youngstown is not automatically illegal. Doing so in the designated downtown area can be. The city apparently believes motorists should watch the gas gauge before entering downtown rather than turning a traffic lane into an impromptu filling station.
Don’t Take The Mud With You: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Minnetonka does not prohibit merely having dirty tires, despite what many strange-law lists claim. Section 845.010 of the city code declares it a public nuisance to operate a truck or other vehicle whose wheels or tires deposit mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or other material on a street or highway. The distinction matters. You do not need to detail your tires before driving through town, but you should not return from an off-road adventure while leaving half the trail behind you.
No Excessive Cuddling Behind The Wheel: Washington
Washington law gets unusually specific about distracted driving. Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.665 prohibits operating a vehicle while embracing another person when the embrace prevents the driver from freely and properly controlling the vehicle. A violation is considered prima facie evidence of reckless driving. A quick hug is not necessarily the issue; losing the use of your arms while attempting to steer certainly is. Romance may be alive and well in Washington, but it needs to ride in the passenger seat.
The Horse Can Make You Stop: New Jersey
Under New Jersey Statute 39:4-72, a motorist approaching or passing a person riding or driving a horse must slow to no more than 25 mph and proceed cautiously. If the person controlling the horse raises a hand or gives another signal, the motorist must stop and remain stationary as long as necessary to allow the horse to pass. It amounts to a traffic signal with four legs, a mane and considerably more personality than the average stoplight.
Do Not Honk Around Horses: Rhode Island
Rhode Island gives horses their own protection from automotive noise. State law prohibits a motorist near an equestrian and horse from blowing the horn or creating loud or unusual noises in a manner that startles or frightens the animal. Drivers must also reduce speed, proceed cautiously and stop if necessary to avoid frightening or endangering the horse or rider. Violators can be fined up to $25 for a first offense and up to $50 for later violations. The penalties are modest, but getting kicked by an unhappy horse could be considerably more expensive.
Close The Car Door: Oregon
Oregon Revised Statute 811.490 prohibits opening a vehicle door unless it is reasonably safe and can be done without interfering with traffic. It also prohibits leaving a door open on the side exposed to traffic, pedestrians or bicycles for longer than necessary to load or unload passengers. The driver who leaves a door hanging open while conducting a long curbside conversation may be doing more than irritating everyone trying to get around the car.
Do Not Chase The Fire Truck: Vermont
Vermont law prohibits drivers who are not involved in official emergency business from following fire apparatus traveling to an emergency at a distance of less than 500 feet. Motorists also may not follow in a way that interferes with emergency operations or park where their vehicle obstructs firefighters. Those flashing lights and sirens are not an invitation to join a high-speed parade or secure front-row seating at somebody else’s disaster.
Protect Animals Riding In A Cargo Area: Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage law does not expressly say, “Do not tie a dog to the roof of your car,” despite that popular claim. Its actual requirement is more practical. An animal transported in the cargo area of a vehicle must be protected by adequate side and tail walls, cross-tethered or secured in a container or cage so it cannot be thrown, fall or jump from the vehicle. A dog on the roof would almost certainly create an animal-cruelty problem, but there is no need to improve the law with language it does not contain.
No Tire-Squealing Shows: University City, Missouri
University City prohibits operating a vehicle in a way that causes excessive and unnecessary noise from its engine, machinery, horn, tires or other components. That language can cover squealing the tires, spinning them or “peeling out.” It is a legitimate ordinance, although not especially unusual; many communities have similar rules aimed at reckless driving and unnecessary noise.
And About That Gorilla…
One of the most frequently repeated claims says Massachusetts prohibits driving with a gorilla in the back seat. The Massachusetts government’s own website has called that an urban myth. The state has laws governing dangerous animals and the safe transportation of animals, but no statute specifically banishes gorillas from the back seat.
That does not mean putting one there would be a good idea. It simply means Massachusetts lawmakers never felt the need to write a traffic law beginning with the words, “No person shall transport a gorilla…” Apparently, even legislators occasionally assume common sense will prevail.