Following the “rules of the road” is important to maintain your spot as a member of the safe driving community and reducing crashes and related injuries.
Traffic accidents injure and take the lives of thousands of people each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with preliminary data for the 2015 calendar-year showing a potential 7.7% increase in numbers. Knowing the state-specific rules of the road is one way to help reduce the overall occurrence of crash incidents.
While there are many similarities between states, overall there are many significant differences in what each state sees as their “rules of the road.”
Some important rules that have specifics in each state include:
- Driver’s license requirements or restrictions
- Seat belt laws
- Alcohol use and limits
- Cell phone use and texting laws
- Required equipment on roadways
- Motorcyclists
- Bicyclists
- Speed limits
- General rules or laws, such as pedestrian right of way, if (and when) it’s okay to use studded tires, slow driving laws, and more
Before traveling, whether it’s a simple drive to the supermarket in your hometown or a plan to visit another state (or more), avoid an unintended driving violation by learning the state’s specific “rules of the road.”
A state-by-state list of the “rules of the road” follows:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
A good driver is a safe and educated driver. Following the driving laws specific to each state helps to get everyone safely to their destination. Do your part to keep the roads safe and reduce traffic crashes and related injuries.
