History UsefulNotes / AmericanDrivingLaws

Likewise, recent tax incentives for hybrid and electric vehicles notwithstanding, the US Government does not tend to use tax policy to manipulate vehicle design or driver choice, by say, encouraging diesel fuel as in Europe or ethanol like Brazil, or penalizing engine displacement as in Italy. Much of this is because a large number of cars and trucks that would be considered "gas guzzlers" are made in the U.S., and the United Auto Workers (or UAW, the union that represents most American employees of the "Big 3" - GM, Ford, and Chrysler) has ''a lot'' of influence in Washington. (Prior to 2004 [=SUVs=] were considered trucks and subject to less-strict standards on emissions and fuel economy, though, which played a big role in their popularity.) As a result, fuel costs primarily stem from market forces and Americans choose to drive vehicles scaled to fit American roads and driving conditions and the few urban microcars that can actually meet the US's fairly stringent crash safety and emissions standards have achieved very little market share. Finally, given the relatively large amount of driving they do, Americans tend to want their vehicles to be reliable: It was reliability that allowed Japanese (and later Korean) brands to capture such a large percentage of U.S. auto sales just as it was the perceived ''lack'' of reliability that, more than anything else, caused virtually all French, British and Italian makes to succumb to American and Japanese brands and leave the US market.

** One case where state laws can differ is laws regarding stopping for a school bus. All U.S. jurisdictions require traffic going in the same direction as a school bus, plus opposing traffic on a two-lane road, to stop for a school bus that's picking up or dropping off children. (The bus will display flashing red lights and a stop sign when this happens.) The differences arise on roads with more than two lanes, with a few examples for illustration.

*** West Virginia requires all traffic to stop. Period. (The only exception is on controlled-access highways, where traffic is never intended to stop.)

*** In Idaho and Kentucky (among other states), opposing traffic does not have to stop, even if the only divider is a double yellow line.

*** In 37 states and UsefulNotes/PuertoRico, you can turn left on red if both the origin street (the one you're on) and destination street (the one you're turning to) are one-way. In UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}, and [[UsefulNotes/{{Washington}} Washington state]], only the origin street has to be one-way, and in Washington state (but nowhere else), freeway off-ramps are treated as one-way streets for purposes of this law. Left turns on red are banned in eight states and two territories.[[note]]Totally banned in Connecticut, UsefulNotes/{{Maine}}, Missouri, New Hampshire, UsefulNotes/NewJersey, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, UsefulNotes/RhodeIsland, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC, and UsefulNotes/{{Guam}}; banned in UsefulNotes/SouthDakota unless allowed by local ordinance.[[/note]] New York City has the same policy for left on red as it does for right on red—banned unless intersection signage specifically allows it.

*** In Idaho and Kentucky (among other states), opposing traffic is ''prohibited from stopping'', even if the only divider is a double yellow line.

** One case where state laws can differ is laws regarding stopping for a school bus. All U.S. jurisdictions require traffic going in the same direction as a school bus, plus opposing traffic on a two-lane road, to stop for a school bus that's picking up or dropping off children. (The bus will have flashing red lights and a stop sign when this happens.) The differences arise on roads with more than two lanes, with a few examples for illustration.

Likewise, recent tax incentives for hybrid and electric vehicles notwithstanding, the US Government does not tend to use tax policy to manipulate vehicle design or driver choice, by say, encouraging diesel fuel as in Europe or ethanol like Brazil, or penalizing engine displacement as in Italy. (Prior to 2004 [=SUVs=] were considered trucks and subject to less-strict standards on emissions and fuel economy, though, which played a big role in their popularity.) As a result, fuel costs primarily stem from market forces and Americans choose to drive vehicles scaled to fit American roads and driving conditions and the few urban microcars that can actually meet the US's fairly stringent crash safety and emissions standards have achieved very little market share. Finally, given the relatively large amount of driving they do, Americans tend to want their vehicles to be reliable: It was reliability that allowed Japanese (and later Korean) brands to capture such a large percentage of U.S. auto sales just as it was the perceived ''lack'' of reliability that, more than anything else, caused virtually all French, British and Italian makes to succumb to American and Japanese brands and leave the US market.

* The United States is a ''big'' country, with a lot of nothing (many individual states are larger than ''entire countries'' [[note]]Example: UsefulNotes/{{Colorado}} is larger than the entire UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom; while UsefulNotes/{{France}} is barely 3/4 the size of [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]][[/note]]), and not a lot of reason for some of these communities to keep their streets compact. Street networks can be relatively well developed, but most Americans aren't surprised at commutes of 30 minutes. Or more. Indeed, in some metropolitan areas, daily commutes of over an hour are common. In dense urban areas traffic congestion can cause the same problems over a relatively short area. For example, UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco is only 7 miles across in either direction, but it is not uncommon to take close to an hour to cross it due to traffic.

Licensing requirements vary from state to state but are similar in general outline: Licenses are available relatively young (typically at age 16) and "Learners Permits" that allow users to begin instruction are often available at even younger ages, 14 or 15 depending on the state. Many American [[HighSchool high schools]] offer driver education as part of their standard or supplementary curriculum, and attaining a driver's license is often seen as a teen rite of passage, their "ticket to freedom" (or [[TeensLoveShopping at least the mall]]), though more and more states now mandate some form of limited or graduated license for drivers below the age of 18 (Example: A driver with a provisional license may be prohibited from driving at night, or prohibited from carrying non-family passengers under age 18, and in most instances, being pulled over and having ''any'' alcohol in your blood is an immediate loss of license.) A basic operator's license (the exact terminology varies state to state) typically authorizes the licensee to operate any automobile or light truck up to 26,000 lbs (which is not coincidentally the size of a typical rental moving van) and is often a prerequisite for more advanced licenses.

Drivers of "big rigs" (anything over 26,000 lbs, including the iconic "18 wheelers") must qualify for a commercial driver's license, or CDL. Basic CDL requirements are more or less uniform across all states since they fall under the federal government's authority to regulate interstate commerce, though states are allowed to impose additional requirements (often called "endorsements") over and above the basic federal requirements for things like special vehicle equipment (such as air brakes or semi-trailers) or the transportation of passengers or hazardous materials. Given the potentially tragic consequences of an inexperienced driver or one on the verge of a sudden heart attack behind the wheel of a massive vehicle a CDL normally requires the holder to both maintain certification (either through testing or experience) and pass an annual health check as well (though the latter is sometimes honored "in the breach".)

* With that said, traffic laws are largely uniform with minimal variations around the edges -- like verbiage on informational signs and ancillary rules like when one can make a right turn on a red light. Standardized rules for lights, signs and signals are published in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control devices, or MUCTD. Individual jurisdictions can and will opt out of specific MUCTD rules but typically don't contradict them. For instance, sign shapes and colors are standardized nationwide. If you've ever wondered why some signs have distinctive shapes while others do not, the signs with distinctive shapes are all signs (Stop, Yield, Passing Zone, etc,) that must be recognizable from the back.

** Class B is the standard for bus drivers and taxicab operators. Allows driving anything weighing over 26,000 pounds and tow anything under 10,001 pounds, and can carry passengers for hire. Same rule as Class C for motorcycles.

Licensing requirements vary from state to state but are similar in general outline: Licenses are available relatively young (typically at age 16) and "Learners Permits" that allow users to begin instruction are often available at even younger ages, 14 or 15 depending on the state. Many American [[HighSchool high schools]] offer driver education as part of their standard or supplementary curriculum, and attaining a driver's license is often seen as a teen rite of passage, their "ticket to freedom" (or [[TeensLoveShopping at least the mall]]), though more and more states now mandate some form of limited or graduated license for drivers below the age of 18 ( Example: A driver with a provisional license may be prohibited from driving at night, or prohibited from carrying non-family passengers under age 18, and in most instances, being pulled over and having ''any'' alcohol in your blood is an immediate loss of license.) A basic operator's license (the exact terminology varies state to state) typically authorizes the licensee to operate any automobile or light truck up to 26,000 lbs (which is not coincidentally the size of a typical rental moving van) and is often a prerequisite for more advanced licenses.

Still, this doesn't stop law enforcement from trying various ways of slowing down the pace. Speed cameras are becoming increasingly common, though they are still not nearly as common as in UsefulNotes/{{Europe}}: a section of road is set to allow cars to have their speeds checked, and if one is too fast, a photograph is taken of it (and its number plate), allowing someone to send the car's owner a fine. This is, of course, controversial (especially to the recipients of the tickets) in large part because historically it is the vehicle driver (who may not necessarily be the owner) who is responsible for operating the vehicle safely. Those in favor call it a public safety measure; those against call it a cheap way of raising cash ( There's also an oft-quoted legal precedent against speed cameras, namely, the right of the accused to confront their accuser. While most recipients of speed camera tickets don't invoke this, those that do tend to find their cases dismissed, as arguing the point is more costly and time-consuming than the ticket would be worth].) A similar phenomenon are the "red light cameras" used for stoplights in many areas too.

* License plates, like driver's licenses, are also done at the state level, with each state having its own license plate design and serial number format. The dimensions of the plates are standardized to be 6 by 12 inches. 28 states and the District of Columbia require plates to be displayed both on the front and rear of the car, while 22 states only require rear plates (the most recent state to amend their rule being UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, which began requiring only rear plates in August 2022). When a car's registration is renewed, the registration paper usually comes with a sticker (or stickers) that is placed over the previous year on the license plate. UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}} and UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} require the sticker to be placed on the front ''windshield'' rather than the license plate, while UsefulNotes/NewJersey and Connecticut do not require stickers at all. Most states have other designs available for customers (including plates that bear the names of clubs, organizations, or universities) called specialty plates, and states can also have different license plate designs for specific types of vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, semi trucks, trailers, farm vehicles, and state government vehicles). Additionally, in all 50 states and DC, for an extra fee, it is very easy to get a VanityLicensePlate, a plate where the serial number spells out a specific message.

* License plates, like driver's licenses, are also done at the state level, with each state having its own license plate design and serial number format. The dimensions of the plates are standardized to be 6 by 12 inches. 28 states and the District of Columbia require plates to be displayed both on the front and rear of the car, while 22 states only require rear plates (the most recent state to amend their rule being UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, which began requiring only rear plates in August 2022). When a car's registration is renewed, the registration paper usually comes with a sticker (or stickers) that is placed over the previous year on the license plate. UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}} and UsefulNotes/{{Texas}}) require the sticker to be placed on the front ''windshield'' rather than the license plate, while UsefulNotes/NewJersey and Connecticut do not require stickers at all. Most states have other designs available for customers (including plates that bear the names of clubs, organizations, or universities) called specialty plates, and states can also have different license plate designs for specific types of vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, semi trucks, trailers, farm vehicles, and state government vehicles). Additionally, in all 50 states and DC, for an extra fee, it is very easy to get a VanityLicensePlate, a plate where the serial number spells out a specific message.

* License plates, like driver's licenses, are also done at the state level, with each state having its own license plate design and serial number format. The dimensions of the plates are standardized to be 6 by 12 inches. 28 states and the District of Columbia require plates to be displayed both on the front and rear of the car, while 22 states only require rear plates (the most recent state to amend their rule being UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, which began requiring only rear plates in August 2022). When a car's registration is renewed, the registration paper usually comes with a sticker (or stickers) that is placed over the previous year on the license plate. A handful of states (i.e UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}} or UsefulNotes/{{Texas}}) require the sticker to be placed on the front ''windshield'' rather than the license plate, while UsefulNotes/NewJersey does not require stickers at all. Most states have other designs available for customers (including plates that bear the names of clubs, organizations, or universities) called specialty plates, and states can also have different license plate designs for specific types of vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, semi trucks, trailers, farm vehicles, and state government vehicles). Additionally, in all 50 states and DC, for an extra fee, it is very easy to get a VanityLicensePlate, a plate where the serial number spells out a specific message.

* License plates, like driver's licenses, are also done at the state level, with each state having its own license plate design and serial number format. The dimensions of the plates are standardized to be 6 by 12 inches. 28 states and the District of Columbia require plates to be displayed both on the front and rear of the car, while 22 states only require rear plates (the most recent state to amend their rule being UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, which began requiring only rear plates in August 2022). When a car's registration is renewed, the registration paper usually comes with a sticker (or stickers) that is placed over the previous year on the license plate. A handful of states (i.e UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}} or UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} require the sticker to be placed on the front ''windshield'' rather than the license plate, while UsefulNotes/NewJersey does not require stickers at all. Most states have other designs available for customers (including plates that bear the names of clubs, organizations, or universities) called specialty plates, and states can also have different license plate designs for specific types of vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, semi trucks, trailers, farm vehicles, and state government vehicles). Additionally, in all 50 states and DC, for an extra fee, it is very easy to get a VanityLicensePlate, a plate where the serial number spells out a specific message.

*** In 37 states and UsefulNotes/PuertoRico, you can turn left on red if both the origin street (the one you're on) and destination street (the one you're turning to) are one-way. In UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, UsefulNotes/{{Michigan}}, UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}, and [[UsefulNotes/{{Washington}} Washington state]], only the origin street has to be one-way, and in Washington state (but nowhere else), freeway off-ramps are treated as one-way streets for purposes of this law. Left turns on red are banned in eight states and two territories.[[note]]Totally banned in Connecticut, UsefulNotes/{{Maine}}, Missouri, New Hampshire, UsefulNotes/NewJersey, UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, UsefulNotes/RhodeIsland, UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC, and UsefulNotes/{{Guam}}; banned in South Dakota unless allowed by local ordinance.[[/note]] New York City has the same policy for left on red as it does for right on red—banned unless intersection signage specifically allows it.

Finally, if you're visiting America and decide to drive someplace touristy, please measure the distance first (and don't forget that 1 mile = 1.6km). Therefore, if you are used to driving across your own country as a day-trip, it can be a bit startling to find out that crossing the United States by car can take up to four ''days'' depending on the direction you are going, the roads you are driving on, and how hard you push yourself. There are many stories of tourists (usually German, for some reason), trying to drive from New England to the Rockies "for the weekend". This would literally be "driving for the ''whole'' weekend": the trip from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/{{Denver}} (at posted speed limits) takes 32 hours, ''non-stop'', as in, that doesn't even allow for ''re-fueling'' stops, let-alone [[BladderOfSteel bathroom]] [[PoopSocking breaks]] or sleep. And a drive from UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity to UsefulNotes/LosAngeles? It's about as long as a trip from Helsinki, UsefulNotes/Finland to UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}}, UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}.

** Two-digit interstate are primary roads, meant for long distance travel. (This includes Interstate 5, which runs on the left (west) coast from Mexico to Canada.)

Licensing requirements vary from state to state but are similar in general outline: Licenses are available relatively young (typically at age 16) and "Learners Permits" that allow users to begin instruction are often available at even younger ages, 14 or 15 depending on the state. Many American [[HighSchool high schools]] offer driver education as part of their standard or supplementary curriculum, and attaining a driver's license is often seen as a teen rite of passage, their "ticket to freedom" (or at least the mall) though more and more states now mandate some form of limited or graduated license for drivers below the age of 18 ( Example: A driver with a provisional license may be prohibited from driving at night, or prohibited from carrying non-family passengers under age 18, and in most instances, being pulled over and having ''any'' alcohol in your blood is an immediate loss of license.) A basic operator's license (the exact terminology varies state to state) typically authorizes the licensee to operate any automobile or light truck up to 26,000 lbs (which is not coincidentally the size of a typical rental moving van) and is often a prerequisite for more advanced licenses.

Still, this doesn't stop law enforcement from trying various ways of slowing down the pace. Speed cameras are becoming increasingly common, though they are still not nearly as common as in Europe: a section of road is set to allow cars to have their speeds checked, and if one is too fast, a photograph is taken of it (and its number plate), allowing someone to send the car's owner a fine. This is, of course, controversial (especially to the recipients of the tickets) in large part because historically it is the vehicle driver (who may not necessarily be the owner) who is responsible for operating the vehicle safely. Those in favor call it a public safety measure; those against call it a cheap way of raising cash ( There's also an oft-quoted legal precedent against speed cameras, namely, the right of the accused to confront their accuser. While most recipients of speed camera tickets don't invoke this, those that do tend to find their cases dismissed, as arguing the point is more costly and time-consuming than the ticket would be worth].) A similar phenomenon are the "red light cameras" used for stoplights in many areas too.

Finally, if you're visiting America and decide to drive someplace touristy, please measure the distance first (and don't forget that 1 mile = 1.6km). Therefore, if you are used to driving across your own country as a day-trip, it can be a bit startling to find out that crossing the United States by car can take up to four ''days'' depending on the direction you are going, the roads you are driving on, and how hard you push yourself. There are many stories of tourists (usually German, for some reason), trying to drive from New England to the Rockies "for the weekend". This would literally be "driving for the ''whole'' weekend": the trip from UsefulNotes/{{Boston}} to UsefulNotes/{{Denver}} (at posted speed limits) takes 32 hours, ''non-stop'', as in, that doesn't even allow for ''re-fueling'' stops, let-alone [[BladderOfSteel bathroom]] [[PoopSocking breaks]] or sleep. And a drive from UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity to UsefulNotes/LosAngeles? It's about as long as a trip from Helsinki, Finland to Lisbon, Portugal.