5 Violations You Didn’t Know Existed
Aug 8th, 2010
Sure, almost everyone has gotten a speeding ticket or been stopped for minor traffic violations, but in some cases people get stopped or ticketed for doing something they didn’t even know was a violation of the law. The following are a better look at some violations that could get you into some trouble when you didn’t even know you were doing something wrong:
Parking more than 18 inches from a curb- It is illegal to park more than certain allotted inches from a curb. When parking along a curb the front and back wheels must be parallel and within the inches that the state or jurisdiction has set forth. Parking more than the allotted space away from the curb can make it difficult for fire trucks or emergency vehicles to make their way through the streets when need be. While it varies from 12 to 18 inches by state, curb parking violators are normally slapped with small fines.
Driving barefoot- Driving without shoes on isn’t really recommended or considered safe and is illegal in some states. A driver can certainly be ticketed for the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, which depending on the discretion of the cop, can be driving barefoot. It can also be added to any ticket aside from what the driver was pulled over for the in first place. The fine is usually fairly small and shouldn’t exceed a few hundred dollars.
Texting while Driving- It is illegal in 30 states to text while driving. While some of these states don’t have laws against talking on the phone, drivers can be cited for texting, email, surfing the web, or playing games unless stopped at a stoplight. These laws vary heavily from state to state so it is best to check with your local agency, because drivers could face up to a $500 fine if they are caught and cited.
Failure to secure your load- It is against the law in many states to operate a vehicle with a load unless the load is covered or fastened securely as to not become loose, fall out, or cause a hazard to the street. It doesn’t matter whether the load is trash, heavy furniture, or anything else being transported it needs to be covered with a tarp or securely fastened with chains, straps, or ropes. Failure to secure a load while driving is subject to a fine and in some cases, if it causes property damage or harm to another, can be also punishable by jail time.
Failure to yield to emergency vehicles- It is against the law to fail to stop or pull over on the side of the road when emergency vehicles are trying to get through the street. It is the responsibility of drivers to yield the right-of-way to ambulance, fire trucks, police and other emergency vehicle when their lights are flashing and/or using horns or sirens. The driver should always remain stopped on the side of the road until the emergency vehicle has completely passed and only move back into the lane after checking that there isn’t another emergency vehicle trying to make its way through as well.
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