Interesting Road-Related State/Province/Country Laws/Instructions on Signs

[cl94]

While the basic driving laws are consistent across jurisdictions, a few localities have some interesting laws posted on signs.

One sign I have heard much discussion about is Pennsylvania's "Work zone / State Law / Turn on headlights". I don't know of another place that requires headlights to be on inside of work zones. Are there other places with signs providing "weird" instructions like this? No restrictions to this topic, just law/instruction signs that are only found in certain localities that outsiders find "weird".

[hotdogPi]

New Hampshire's seatbelt laws only require drivers under 18 and commercial drivers to wear seatbelts; everyone else is optional. Because of this, the wording of any sign mentioning seatbelts is slightly different from the standard message.

Spell check, you recognize seatbelt but not seatbelts. Why?

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

There was some state I discovered recently where if a school bus stops on a four-lane undivided road that traffic opposing the bus does not have to stop. Most places require all traffic to stop for a stopped school bus unless the road is fully divided.

[cl94]

There was some state I discovered recently where if a school bus stops on a four-lane undivided road that traffic opposing the bus does not have to stop. Most places require all traffic to stop for a stopped school bus unless the road is fully divided.

Compare that to NY, where all traffic needs to stop even if the road is divided. Granted, there are few divided roads in the state with homes directly on them.

[hbelkins]

I always got a chuckle out of North Carolina's terminology that you are to "burn" headlights in certain circumstances.

[1995hoo]

I've always found North Carolina's signs instructing drivers to "burn headlights" when it's raining, and their similar signs telling motorcyclists to "burn headlights" at all times, to be very strangely worded. I get this mental image of a car or motorcycle fitted with those fancy lamps you sometimes see at historic or rustic restaurants or inns.



Edited to add: hbelkins makes a very good point. 

[wanderer2575]

Some states require headlight use when windshield wipers are on.  Essentially, if it's raining or snowing hard enough that your wipers need to be going for you to see, you need to have your lights on so others can see you.

[ilpt4u]

These laws have become more common the last few years, but I don't know if they have reached every state yet...

IL likes to remind drivers, especially on Dynamic Message Board signs, that Cell Phone Use that requires hands while driving is illegal in IL. Especially on the Boards near State lines. "Drop It and Drive" is one of the common tag lines

I'm pretty sure IL requires headlights when wipers are on -- but I can't say I've seen any signage for that

IL does have signage about bootlegging cigarettes being illegal on Mississippi river crossings coming from Missouri

[1995hoo]

Some states require headlight use when windshield wipers are on.  Essentially, if it's raining or snowing hard enough that your wipers need to be going for you to see, you need to have your lights on so others can see you.

Yeah, of course. The point hbelkins and I were making is the strange wording North Carolina uses: "Burn headlights." I've never seen that anywhere except North Carolina. It sounds like an old-fashioned expression that's never been updated–sort of like how until about 12 years ago the NHL rulebook prescribed a five-minute penalty for "fisticuffs" (it now uses the term "fighting").

Here in Virginia we have signs that say "Headlights on When Using Wipers," but they don't say "State Law."

[jeffandnicole]

NJ has signage for doubling of fines for speeding and other violations in 65 mph zones.

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

Other states do have shoulder traffic permissions. One of the most well known one's is in VA on I-66; NJ uses them as well in a few areas.

[Quillz]

Utah has signs on their interstates denoting when "climbing lanes" are available. I've never seen this terminology outside of Utah, even if the purpose of a climbing lane isn't unique.

[fillup420]

Another NC wording oddity is when speed limit drops. Sometimes the sign will read

BEGIN 35
1000 FT. AHEAD

I see those up in the mountains a lot.

[Flint1979]

Some states require headlight use when windshield wipers are on.  Essentially, if it's raining or snowing hard enough that your wipers need to be going for you to see, you need to have your lights on so others can see you.

I'm always turning my headlights on when I have my wipers on. Makes sense.

[txstateends]

Utah has signs on their interstates denoting when "climbing lanes" are available. I've never seen this terminology outside of Utah, even if the purpose of a climbing lane isn't unique.

TX used to have
CLIMBING
LANE
AHEAD
signage prior to the presence of the extra lane.  There are still climbing lanes in TX, but it's been ages since I've seen the signs regularly used.

[formulanone]

There was some state I discovered recently where if a school bus stops on a four-lane undivided road that traffic opposing the bus does not have to stop. Most places require all traffic to stop for a stopped school bus unless the road is fully divided.

Florida's rule was a five-foot median; if greater, you do not have to stop. (This may have changed since 1990, when I took my test.) There are places with all sorts of median widths in Florida, but multi-lane divided highways without medians are rare for the Sunshine State.

[Scott5114]

Do DRLs generally count as headlights being "on" for these particular laws?

I ask because my car has one of those fancy automatic headlight switches (turns headlights on when a photocell senses darkness or the wipers go on), and I can't say I've ever manually turned the lights on since I got it. It does have DRLs, though.

[plain]

Another NC wording oddity is when speed limit drops. Sometimes the sign will read

BEGIN 35
1000 FT. AHEAD

I see those up in the mountains a lot.

Yep. And there's also the ones at city limit boundaries stating

CITYWIDE
SPEED LIMIT 35
UNLESS
OTHERWISE POSTED

with many of them in green instead of white no less

here's one on US 158/401 at the Norlina city line
https://goo.gl/maps/iFq6zqTa3To

[PHLBOS]

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

It's my understanding that such is only allowed where posted and typically during certain time frames (i.e rush hours).

Additionally, at least in the immediate Greater Boston area, two of the major highways that allowed such (I-95/MA 128 between MA 9 & I-93 and the Southeast Expressway part of I-93) either no longer do (the Expressway was restriped to 8-lanes w/no shoulder) and/or on the verge of phasing it out (the Add-A-Lane Project (for I-95/MA 128/I-93) which is on its final phase in Needham).

Are/were there any other highways in MA that allow such?  The above-two were the only ones that were around over 2 decades ago that I know of.

[hotdogPi]

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

It's my understanding that such is only allowed where posted and typically during certain time frames (i.e rush hours).

Additionally, at least in the immediate Greater Boston area, two of the major highways that allowed such (I-95/MA 128 between MA 9 & I-93 and the Southeast Expressway part of I-93) either no longer do (the Expressway was restriped to 8-lanes w/no shoulder) and/or on the verge of phasing it out (the Add-A-Lane Project (for I-95/MA 128/I-93) which is on its final phase in Needham).

Are/were there any other highways in MA that allow such?  The above-two were the only ones that were around over 2 decades ago that I know of.

I-93 between Exit 41 (MA 125) and the New Hampshire border, now between Exits 41-46 due to construction at Exit 46 (MA 110/113 former rotary). 6-10 AM inbound, 3-7 PM outbound.

[spooky]

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

It's my understanding that such is only allowed where posted and typically during certain time frames (i.e rush hours).

Additionally, at least in the immediate Greater Boston area, two of the major highways that allowed such (I-95/MA 128 between MA 9 & I-93 and the Southeast Expressway part of I-93) either no longer do (the Expressway was restriped to 8-lanes w/no shoulder) and/or on the verge of phasing it out (the Add-A-Lane Project (for I-95/MA 128/I-93) which is on its final phase in Needham).

Are/were there any other highways in MA that allow such?  The above-two were the only ones that were around over 2 decades ago that I know of.

It is allowed on MA 3 from the end of the 3-lane segment in Weymouth to Exit 12 in Pembroke. It follows the typical 6-10 AM inbound, 3-7 PM outbound time restriction.

The 3-lane segment ends SB between the Exit 16 on-ramp and Exit 15 (Derby Street). NB the third lane begins at the Exit 16 off-ramp.

[hm insulators]

New Hampshire's seatbelt laws only require drivers under 18 and commercial drivers to wear seatbelts; everyone else is optional. Because of this, the wording of any sign mentioning seatbelts is slightly different from the standard message.

Spell check, you recognize seatbelt but not seatbelts. Why?

And then there's Massachusetts's breakdown lane travel, which I believe is not allowed anywhere else.

My spell check doesn't recognize Los Angeles.

[J N Winkler]

One thing I first saw in signing plans for MI, and which now seems to have spread to IN, IL, and MO, is "Injure/Kill Worker" signing that advises of a combination of substantial financial penalty (in the tens of thousands of dollars) and jail time.  In IL (I think) it appears in black over an orange ribbon underlay.